


The Empty Cage

by Rathanel



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-29
Updated: 2012-10-22
Packaged: 2017-11-08 20:07:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 74,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/447021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rathanel/pseuds/Rathanel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Desperate and rushed, Minato Namikaze is forced to rely on the Death God's seal, a seal he doesn't fully understand, and his son pays the price with his life. So who is the blond-haired kid running around Konoha? M for language and violence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hasty Decisions

-October 10th, 334 NE (Ninja Era)-

-6:30 PM-

-Konohagakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Leaves), Konoha General Hospital-

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and soon-to-be new father, paced back and forth in the hallway, his body tense and full of nervous energy. His famous overcoat - with stylized flames licking the bottom edge and the words "Fourth Hokage" written in large, bold letters on the back - swirled around his feet. Every few seconds he threw a worried glance at the hospital doors that led to the room where his wife was currently in labor. He desperately wanted to do _something,_ but knew that he would just get in the way; Tsunade-sama was overseeing the birth, after all. If something happened that she couldn't handle _\- 'Oh god, what if something does happen? What if Lady Tsunade got distracted or ran out of chakra? Something could be happening right now! What if-'_

"Hokage-sensei, there's no need to worry so much. Kushina-sama is strong, I'm sure she'll be fine. Tsunade-sama won't let anything happen to her, after all." Kakashi said lazily, never taking his eyes off his ever-present orange book. His silver hair stuck straight up in the air, defying gravity as it always did. His mask-covered face seemed to be smiling as he giggled to himself.

Minato threw Kakashi an irritated glance, but he stopped pacing for the moment. "Why do you insist on calling me that? It sounds ridiculous," he snapped.

Kakashi looked up from his book for a moment, and even through the mask Minato thought he could see a grin on his face. "You are the Hokage and my teacher, after all. It's only proper." With that said, he turned back to his book, giggling again.

The Hokage sighed. "Thanks for trying to distract me, but you're plenty worried yourself. You've been reading that same page for the last thirty minutes."

Kakashi stiffened in surprise, then shook his head. "It's a good page."

Minato let out a snort of laughter, then paused. "... Which page?"

The masked ninja was definitely grinning this time as he opened his mouth to answer. Before he could however, an unearthly roar reverberated throughout the hospital hallway, rattling windows and stopping the two shinobi in their tracks.

The roar was more than just loud, more than just sound even. It was laced with an incredibly potent chakra and just feeling it nearly brought them to their knees. The roar felt terrifying, it felt overwhelmingly powerful, it felt... evil.

Minato recovered first, and quickly grabbed Kakashi's shoulder. With a yellow flash of light they both disappeared as shouts began to ring out throughout the hospital.

* * *

-A few minutes before-

-Makai (The Demon Realm)-

The Kyuubi no Youko lay before the swirling vortex, waiting patiently. Barren plains stretched out all around him, silent and desolate. His nine tails swayed lazily behind him, moving seemingly at random, stirring the air and creating dust clouds.

Soon the period of his banishment would be over and soon, very soon, he would step through the portal into the human realm once more. It had been one hundred years since he had been flung out of the human realm. One hundred years of bitter, frustrated anger. One hundred years of planning. One hundred years of waiting.

One hundred years of wondering what had become of his brethren.

One hundred years since those pathetic humans wielding their silly little powers had dared to turn against him. When they had launched their attack, he had been amused. Amused that they were so arrogant as to believe that mere humans, even working together, could ever hope to so much as inconvenience a Bijuu. Then they had revealed the full extent of their plan and summoned the Death God. He laughed outright at that. They apparently believed that demons such as he were mortal, and thus could be killed in such a manner. Fools.

He was shocked when he was sealed into a human child; he had not thought the Death God had even that much influence over a demon. His shock quickly turned to rage and he flooded the seal containing him with all his power, seeking to break free and wreak havoc upon the humans who would dare stand against him. His power quickly overwhelmed the seal as he had expected. However, he had not expected to unleash an explosion that destroyed everything for miles around and he had certainly not expected to be forcibly ripped from the human realm and sent back to the demon realm. While satisfied that he had killed the humans involved in the attack, he did not feel victorious.

For a time, the Kyuubi assumed that the humans would soon banish his brethren as well, if they had not already done so. He wanted to confer with the others before returning to the human world and had sent emissaries to the other tribes calling for a meeting. After a year had passed without any sign of them in the demon realm and without any word through their tribes, Kyuubi had been forced to consider that the sealing array had been meant for some other purpose. Whatever the humans had failed to accomplish in their attack on him had apparently succeeded elsewhere.

His brethren were still in the human realm and lacked both the means to communicate and the power to move freely between the realms.

Then had come the unwelcome discovery that the Death God had sealed the portal against him. With bitter clarity he now recalled the words the Death God had spoken to the human summoner, words he had dismissed as unimportant at the time – _"banished from the human realm for a period of one hundred years. Thus is the agreement."_

The Kyuubi was pulled from his reminiscence as the barrier covering the portal shimmered and faded away. With a victorious roar, he leapt to his feet and bounded through the portal, fully intent on finding his brethren – and exacting revenge on the humans who would dare interfere with the Bijuu.

* * *

-6:35 PM-

-Konoha's Western Wall-

Minato landed on the outer walls of the village, already scanning the surroundings for the source of that terrible roar. Kakashi landed next to him looking vaguely ill but alert. His headband was already pushed up, revealing a madly spinning Sharingan eye. All around them other ninja were appearing on the wall, confused shouts coming from all sides as everyone tried to get a handle on the situation. Minato's voice cut through the din, strong and clear, "Silence! Did anyone see the source of that roar?"

All the ninja, even the ones originally stationed on the wall, shook their heads. Minato frowned even as his eyes kept scanning in all directions. There was no sign of any disturbance: no smoke, no chakra emanations that he could detect. He began snapping orders to the ninja assembled around him. Within moments, squads were spreading throughout the village to check for any damage, while others were heading for the Sensors to see if they had detected anything. Given the lack of physical evidence they had to consider the possibility of a widespread genjutsu. This might have been a preliminary test by enemy ninja hoping to find any holes in village security. It could also be relatively harmless harassment, but none of them believed they were that lucky.

Sarutobi appeared a few moments later clad in his battle armor and looking every inch the veteran shinobi. Minato felt a little pride when Sarutobi nodded approvingly at him. He was clearly pleased to see that Minato had responded so quickly and effectively.

"Minato, what..." He began to ask, but his voice trailed off as his face paled and his eyes widened in horror.

Minato turned quickly to follow his gaze and felt his own face go pale. Miles away yet still clearly visible stood a large form, glowing orange as the sun slowly set behind it. He sent chakra to his eyes, sharpening his sight as best he could. With his enhanced vision he could just make out the form of something akin to a fox, towering hundreds of feet above the trees. His heart nearly stopped when he saw that there were nine flowing tails spread out behind the fox.

"Dear Kami... a tailed beast. Nine tails." He whispered, voice hoarse with fear.

It had been nearly twenty years since the last tailed beast sighting, the four-tailed gorilla in Iwa. The beast had battled the ninja forces of Iwa for nearly two days, laying waste to the countryside with its lava. Countless ninja had lost their lives and some areas in Iwa still had not recovered. Legends said that the more tails such a beast possessed the more powerful it was. If the four-tailed beast could do so much damage to Iwa, he shuddered to think how much damage this one could do, especially if it reached the village.

Konoha was the only Great Village to have escaped the ravages of the tailed beasts. Their good fortune had helped them flourish beyond any other village, but it seemed their luck had finally run out.

His mind raced, trying to remember everything he had ever heard about how to combat a tailed beast. The one thing all the reports agreed on was that the beasts were effectively immortal. No one had ever managed to kill one, or even seriously wound one, in all the battles that had taken place. Whether it was possible at all was a source of long-standing debate. Still, everyone agreed, however reluctantly, that such a feat was beyond the power of any ninja, no matter how powerful or numerous.

The only successful strategy was fuinjutsu, specifically containment seals tied to a living host. There were rumors that Suna had managed to contain the one-tailed beast into an object for a time, but the container had failed within a week and unleashed the beast to once again ravage Wind Country. No other tailed beast had ever been sealed into an inanimate object that he knew of.

The reports he had heard also suggested that the younger the host, the better. Several adult ninja - and even a few teenagers - had been selected as hosts, only to have their bodies swiftly begin to break down under the strain. They had died and the beasts were released or resealed within a year at most.

Further complicating matters, the containment seal used had to be of sufficient power relative to the tailed beast it would contain. The seal holding back the one-tailed beast had proven wholly insufficient when the Village Hidden in the Grass had attempted to use it on the three-tailed beast. That failed attempt and the disastrous aftermath had weakened the Grass Village to such an extent that it was still trying to recover over fifty years later.

Minato's mind swiftly sorted through all the information he had available and determined the best course of action. To seal the nine-tailed beast, he would have to use the strongest seal possible on the youngest container possible. He already has a seal in mind – one which summoned the God of Death itself. He had been researching it out of curiosity, wondering what would lead someone to design such a seal that cost the life of its user. He supposed he knew the answer to that question now, though he wished he did not.

As for the host, a child that was newly born would be the best. A child that was born today, such as–

His mind shied away from following that thought to its conclusion. He snapped out of its musings when he heard Sarutobi call for him again.

"Minato!" Sarutobi said sharply. "You need to begin the evacuation."

Minato shook himself, and nodded. He drew in a slow breath, then spoke. "I need volunteers to slow the beast's advance. The remaining ninja and anyone of genin rank will begin evacuating the civilians as quickly as possible. Sarutobi, I need you to organize the resistance. I..." His voice trailed off for a moment as he mind grappled with what he was about to do, what he was about to sacrifice. "I need to prepare for the sealing," he finished quietly.

Sarutobi nodded his acceptance. Unsurprisingly, every ninja on the wall volunteered to delay the beast.

Minato smiled; it was a sad smile, but proud all the same. "Thank you all. It has been an honor to lead you." With a yellow flash, he was gone.

Minato reappeared in his lab and immediately rushed to his worktable. The seal to summon the power of the God of Death was already spread out on the table, right where he had left it. The notes he had managed to pull together after weeks of exhaustive research lay off to the side. That information, beyond the requirements for using the seal itself, didn't even fill a page. He reviewed his own notes, realizing that he had made very little progress in understanding the underlying mechanics of the sealing array.

The most useful piece of information a scribbled note on the back of the sealing scroll. It wasn't by the original author – the handwriting was clearly different – but it contained more information than all the journals he had scoured to this point.

_"The first test of the seal was successful, but too costly. The target was sealed, but when we lowered the protective barrier, Kenichi was dead. We examined the body but found no discernible cause of death. It seems that the God of Death is not to be summoned lightly."_

Minato had been unable to determine what they had tested the seal on, or even who had written the note. Nonetheless, it was confirmation that the strongest seal design he had ever seen worked. He would just have to hope it was enough to contain the nine-tailed beast.

He rolled up the design for the sealing array along with his brushes and inks, then disappeared in another yellow flash.

* * *

-7:20 PM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Tsunade gently handed the bundle containing Kushina's newborn son to the exhausted mother, smiling at the look of joy upon Kushina's face. Kushina looked haggard, her hair sticking to her sweaty face and her clothing rumpled and stained, but Tsunade thought she had never looked happier in her life.

"Have you settled on a name yet?" she asked. Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice and assistant, looked on with a smile, wiping away a happy tear.

"Naruto," Kushina said. She moved her hand and gently smoothed back the small tufts of golden hair that decorated the baby's head. "His name is Naruto."

Tsunade and Shizune smiled fondly, glancing at each other in amusement as they wondered if the name was supposed to mean "fish-cake" or "maelstrom". Though they would never say it, they thought either meaning equally likely considering Minato and Kushina's shared love of ramen.

Tsunade shook herself as she collected her thoughts. "Right. You are stable, Naruto is healthy, and everything is fine here. I hate to leave so soon, but something is happening outside and Shizune and I need to be out there to help. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Kushina tensed as her senses, previously overwhelmed by the agony of childbirth, finally detected the ongoing battle. She nodded quickly, holding Naruto a little tighter as she wondered what was happening outside.

* * *

-7:30 PM-

-Two Miles West of Konoha-

The Kyuubi flicked his tail, and three more ninja died.

Mindful of the events that led to his banishment, he dispatched any attackers quickly and efficiently. Though it amused him to watch the humans expend their energy attempting to harm him, they had proven that they could... inconvenience him, if allowed the opportunity. There was no real reason to stay in the area anyway, as he had already determined that there was no trace of youki within a hundred miles. Still, he wasn't about to ignore the fact that these humans had attacked him unprovoked. They had clearly forgotten just why the Bijuu were to be feared. It seemed a little... _reminder_ was in order before he resumed his search.

The Kyuubi opened his mouth, and began to gather youki into a large ball that filled the space between his gaping jaws. Even as the youki grew denser and denser he could feel the humans gathering in one area, roughly a mile away and some distance from the village. It seemed they were planning to attack him en masse. The Kyuubi would have smirked, if the ball of energy would have allowed it. After a few more seconds of gathering youki, he swallowed the ball whole.

* * *

-Same Time-

-Konoha's Western Wall-

Sarutobi gripped the wall tightly, his knuckles white and his face grim. They had succeeded in delaying the beast, giving Minato precious minutes to prepare the sealing array that would hopefully stop the beast once and for all. They had succeeded... but the death toll was staggering. Over one hundred ninja, from chuunin to jounin, were already dead and he feared many more would follow if Minato did not arrive soon. He had directed his teammates Koharu and Homura to gather ninja in a clearing outside the village to prepare for a large-scale ninjutsu. They were to split the ninja into groups based on elemental affinity, and by now nearly two hundred ninja should be pouring their chakra into joint elemental dragon techniques.

This plan of attack was sound in theory, but he was unsure if the dragons would have any impact on the tailed beast despite their considerable power. All their other techniques, including individual versions of the dragon technique, had proven largely ineffective. They may not be doing any discernible damage, but at least the tailed beast was treating them as threats if the way it swiftly destroyed any ninja who came near it was any indication. Hopefully this long-range attack would slow it down without costing any more ninja their lives.

He squinted his eyes, watching as the Kyuubi began gathering energy into a ball in front of its mouth. He'd never heard of a tailed beast using this sort of attack before, but the amount of chakra gathered into the orb was staggering, and growing at an alarming rate. All the ninja approaching the beast scattered immediately, but the beast made no move to attack, instead continuing to gather more chakra into the orb. Whatever it was trying to do, it seemed very slow and highly ineffective.

Then the beast swallowed the whole thing.

Sarutobi blinked. _'What was the point of-'_

The blast that issued forth from the beast's maw was nearly blinding in its intensity. He let out a yell of pain as he covered his eyes, and felt a wall of heat slam into him, searing his skin. He was nearly blown off his feet, but quickly recovered and tried to determine what happened, forcing his eyes open and ignoring the pain with practiced ease.

A trench nearly half a mile wide and several miles long had been carved into the landscape. What had once been a lush, verdant forest was now a smoking ruin, every trace of life obliterated by the nine-tailed beast's blast. At the edges of the trench trees had been torn from the ground and flung back, and fires were raging for hundreds of feet on either side.

Sarutobi gaped. If that blast had been pointed at Konoha, half the city would have been destroyed! As it was, a huge swath of the forest surrounding the village had just been obliterated in a single attack. Thank Kami the beast had such terrible aim.

He gasped and his face took on a look of horror as he mentally traced the path of the blast. It ran straight through the clearing where the ninja had gathered to fuel the elemental dragon techniques. There was no sign of the clearing, and no sign of any shinobi that had been in it.

Sarutobi prayed Minato completed his preparations quickly. He didn't think they would be able to hold out much longer.

* * *

-7:45 PM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Minato barely managed to choke out the words "I'm sorry," before he disappeared from the hospital room.

* * *

-7:50 PM-

-Konoha's Western Wall-

"Sarutobi! Gather all available ninja and prepare to power a barrier technique around the beast," Minato called out as soon as he appeared beside Sarutobi. "I need you to keep it contained so I can perform the sealing. Throw this kunai inside the barrier just before you activate it." Minato tossed one of his signature three-pronged kunai to the old man and disappeared.

Sarutobi caught the kunai easily and nodded grimly. He had seen the bundle in Minato's arms, and had a fairly good idea which child he would be using as the container for the tailed beast. He just hoped they could hold out long enough to activate the barrier.

* * *

-7:55 PM-

-Two Miles West of Konoha-

The Kyuubi laughed quietly as he felt the humans circling around him, spread out evenly yet keeping their distance. After he had unleashed the Menacing Ball on their little gathering, all the attacks had ceased. He even waited for several minutes to see if they would respond, reveling in their terror. A few more deaths, perhaps another Menacing Ball, and the lesson would be firmly planted in their minds.

Still, he really should stop playing around with the humans, he mused. His initial anger at their attack had rapidly cooled with every human he killed, and now he felt more bored and impatient than anything. After a few more moments contemplation, he decided that one last attack should suffice, then he could move on to his real business here.

He began to gather power for another Menacing Ball, this one aimed at the next highest concentration of humans with their odd power. For some reason, they were gathering within a mountain, behind what appeared to be human faces carved into the side. Were they expecting to hide from him now, after they had attacked him at first sight?

He stopped, the Menacing Ball swiftly dissipating, when the barrier snapped into place around him. This was disturbingly familiar.

Then a giant toad appeared in a cloud of smoke. That was new. It had been a long time since he battled anything from the Outer Realm, and certainly never while battling humans at the same time. Apparently the clans of the Outer Realm had some sort of alliance with the humans.

Then he detected the two humans on the toad's head: One adult, with the largest concentration of energy in his body he had felt since his return, and a tiny child. The Kyuubi quickly grew alarmed, as he realized just what was happening.

* * *

-8:00 PM-

-Inside the Barrier-

"I just need you to keep the beast occupied for another minute while I complete the jutsu! Just one minute, 'Bunta!" Minato cried out, his hands flashing through seals so fast they appeared to be indistinct blurs. The bundle containing Naruto was nestled between his feet, his feet holding the bundle on Gamabunta's back even as he anchored himself with chakra.

Even as Minato finished speaking, the fox-like beast snarled and shot forward, tails swinging in from all angles to strike at the giant toad. Minato's knees almost buckled as Gamabunta shot into the air to avoid the strikes, but his hands never stopped moving.

"That's easy for you to say, brat!" Gamabunta called out, leaping into the air to dodge yet another strike. He pulled out his tanto to block, and the blade rattled in his hands as the beast's tails slammed into it repeatedly. "This thing is strong _and_ fast! Shit, its tail–"

The rest of his words were cut off in a scream of pain as the beast's claws raked across his face. One of its tails had wrapped around each of Gamabunta's arms, and another was currently wrenching the giant tanto out of his hands. Its claws were raised for another strike when it suddenly froze.

A chill seemed to permeate the air, and even Gamabunta shivered as he felt something ancient and inexplicably _other_ descend upon the battlefield. Even the beast's terrifying presence and seemingly limitless power paled in comparison to this feeling.

Minato watched silently as the presence seemed to coalesce in the space in front of him, hovering in the air between the tailed beast and Gamabunta. It appeared exactly as he had imagined, a skeletal figure clad in tattered black robes, a scythe gripped loosely in its bony hand.

"The boundary is sufficient, the vessel prepared. What shall be sealed?" The Death God asked, its voice echoing oddly within the barrier. Just hearing the voice sent tremors of pain throughout Minato's body.

He worked his throat several times before he could force the words out. He had imagined many times what actually being in the presence of the God of Death would be like. This... coldness, this creeping emptiness that flowed from his extremities into the core of his body was far less than he had imagined and yet somehow far, far worse. "I want you to take the tailed beast's soul to your realm and seal its power into my son," he said quickly, hoping to finish his task before he lost his composure entirely. He knew the price he would pay for summoning the God of Death and he was as prepared as he could be. At this point he just wanted it to be over.

He spared a moment to wonder what the Death God meant by the boundary being "sufficient". There had been no specific mention of a boundary in the notes he had read, though he did recall that the "test" was performed inside a barrier. He had assumed it to be a standard precaution, but perhaps it was something more?

The Death God paused, then shifted its head slightly and _looked_ at Minato. The Hokage's entire body convulsed, and he barely managed to avoid landing on Naruto as he fell to his knees, gasping.

"Demon-kind do not fall within Death's domain," the Death God intoned.

Minato paled. "What? But-"

The Death God spoke again, ignoring Minato. "The Kyuubi no Youko shall be sealed within the designated vessel for as long as the vessel is capable of enduring. Upon the failure of the vessel, the Kyuubi no Youko shall be banished once again from the human realm for a period of one hundred years. Thus is the agreement."

Minato tried to protest, to ask why, but he found himself unable to speak. Then the Death God _moved_. He vaguely heard Naruto begin to cry behind him, but his limbs seemed so heavy. His entire body was cold, now, and was swiftly growing numb. He thought Gamabunta was shouting something, but it seemed distant and terribly unimportant.

The beast reacted with incredible speed as the Death God stretched forth its hand, but even as it leapt into the air to gain distance, its body began to distort. The red energy that comprised its very being was inexorably pulled through the air, twisting and turning until it formed a vortex of power centered over the newborn child. A funnel stretched downward and connected to the seal written upon Naruto's stomach, and the entire vortex was slowly pulled into the seal. Naruto was screaming in pain, the sound ripping at Minato's ears and seeming to fill his entire world even as his vision grew dim.

The entire process took less than a minute, but to Minato it felt like an eternity.

"The sealing is complete. All within Death's domain and the boundary shall be taken in payment. Thus is the agreement," the Death God intoned. There was a moment of stillness, then the otherworldly presence vanished from the battlefield.

His attention was suddenly diverted to the ground, where the previously green grass - what remained of it after the damage Gamabunta and the beast had done to the landscape - was swiftly turning brown. The leaves were dropping from the trees in torrents, the exposed wood turning gray and crumbling.

Even as Minato's vision faded entirely, his mind churned, trying to process what the Death God had said. Something was wrong with that statement. Something was...

As the life faded from his eyes and his body stilled, he never noticed that Naruto had stopped crying.


	2. Making Adjustments

-October 10th, 334 NE (Ninja Era)-

-8:00 PM-

-Two Miles West of Konoha, Site of the Kyuubi's Sealing, Inside the Barrier-

Kuushou, more commonly known as the Nine-tailed Demon Fox or even just 'Nine Tails', was not annoyed. nor was he upset. He was far beyond such pale words. He was _furious_.

He had been sealed again. Sealed. _Again._ He wanted nothing more than to flood all his power through the seal and into his vessel to destroy it. He wanted to stomp out every last human life so that none would again dare inflict this indignity upon him. He wanted to scorch the land such that nothing would ever grow and every being in the human realm would realize the price for meddling with the Kyuubi no Youko. He wanted to-

His felt his youki churning as his emotions ran wild, and knew that he was a mere moment away from giving in to his desires and releasing his full power. Even as his fury burned hotter, he forced his youki to calm. He remembered all too well what happened the last time he gave in to his baser instincts, though only now that he was sealed again did he fully understand the circumstances. That pathetic human had attempted to steal his power using the assistance of the God of Death, and this was the result.

Kuushou played the Death God's words back through his mind.

_"The Kyuubi no Youko shall be sealed within the designated vessel for as long as the vessel is capable of enduring. Upon the failure of the vessel, the Kyuubi no Youko shall be banished once again from the human realm for a period of one hundred years. Thus is the agreement."_

The "designated vessel" was clearly the human child, just as it had been one hundred years ago. The question was, what constituted "failure of the vessel"? He was fairly certain he had completely obliterated the "vessel" the last time, along with the surrounding countryside, so his previous experience wouldn't be useful for the sake of comparison.

He had only spent a brief time within the seal of the Death God before, so he had not really paid attention to its appearance; this time, he paused to take in his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of an empty white room, large enough to comfortably contain his battle form. The room had four walls, each with a metal door set in the middle. The doors were large, but the tops only reached halfway up his legs. He looked up, but could make out nothing - no ceiling, no sky, just endless white.

He moved to one of the doors, noting that it was currently closed. Upon closer inspection he could see that the door appeared to be fashioned of steel, as he would expect of human fortifications. Such objects were of incredible strength by human standards, after all. He checked for any sort of locking mechanism or handle. but found nothing. Experimentally, he lashed out with his claws and struck the door. He expected some sort of reaction: an energy barrier of some sort, or perhaps a physical sensation of resistance. He most certainly did not expect his claw to tear through the door as if it were made of mere wood.

Surprised, Kuushou paused to observe his surroundings. Other than the gaping hole in the door there was no change. Grinning, he began to condense his youki in order to reduce the size of his current form so he could fit through the door. He received another surprise, this one rather unpleasant, when the door began to shrink along with him. When he had reduced himself to only a few feet tall, the door stood barely six inches high. The rest of the room had become smaller as well, so much so that he could nearly stretch out his tails and touch the opposite wall.

Changing his approach, Kuushou instead extended one of his tails through the open door and let his form dissolve into a mass of churning youki. As the youki passed through the opening, however, it began to grow even smaller. Even worse, the smaller the opening was, the harder it was for more youki to leave the room. When he flexed his youki to make the opening larger, the enter room shook and small cracks began appearing in the walls. He stopped flexing immediately and watched as the cracks slowly began to seal themselves. He also noted that the opening had grown ever so slightly larger. Storing that away for future reference, he turned his attention to the youki that was outside the room. As a being comprised entirely of youki, the stream of energy outside the room was as much "himself" as the mass of youki inside the room was.

What he found outside the room was troubling, to say the least. He could sense with surprising clarity the state of the child he was sealed into. He could discern the various organs, the pathways through which blood flowed, and even the outlines of what appeared to be paths for chakra, as the humans called their power. He had never been concerned with the particulars of human physiology, or any other living creature for that matter, but he knew enough in general to understand that the various organs were supposed to be doing _something._

Currently, none of the organs were working. The heart was not beating, the blood was not flowing, the chakra was not moving.

Actually, that wasn't quite true. As his youki moved throughout the body, the nearby organs reacted. The heart started to beat again and the blood started to flow. Even the chakra reacted, circulating throughout the body, some of it even moving closer to the youki and curling around it. Whenever that happened it caused a strange tingling sensation that Kuushou had never felt before. The chakra would always settle down when he moved away from it, so he decided to ignore it for the time being.

Kuushou withdrew his youki as much as possible while still being able to sense the child's body, and watched. Without his youki, the body quickly shut down again. He waited for several seconds, watching for any activity anywhere within the body.

Nothing happened.

It took him another few seconds to realize what the problem was, but when he did a wave of panic shot through him. The child was dead. He was certain the child had been alive prior to the sealing, so either the sealing process itself or the presence of the Death God had cost the child its life.

Kuushou braced himself, certain that he would be sent back to Makai – _again –_ any moment now. Several more seconds passed, but nothing happened. Confusion swept through him, and he went over the Death God's words once more. Perhaps... perhaps "failure of the vessel" referred to the destruction of the physical body, rather than the death of the child's soul?

If so... Kuushou began to laugh as he sent as much youki as possible out of the room, spreading it throughout the child's body.

* * *

-Same Time-

-Outside the Barrier-

Sarutobi stared helplessly at the barrier, vainly trying to see through the opaque bubble that enclosed his successor and the tailed beast. All around him hundreds of ninja were pouring all their available chakra into the technique, fueling what was easily the largest barrier he had ever seen. He wouldn't be surprised if it was nearly half a mile in diameter.

Now that he had nothing to do but wait, he found himself reflecting bitterly on the many mistakes he had made in the last two hours. He had sent far too many ninja on what amounted to a suicide mission, and he wondered even now if their deaths had accomplished anything at all.

The rational side of himself knew that they had all volunteered, and he was proud of them all for their Will of Fire, but the guilt weighed heavily on his soul. It was a familiar guilt, and while these new burdens had plenty of company, that did not make them any easier to bear. But the worst burden of all, outweighing even the moment he had realized just how far his favored student had fallen, was waiting inside that barrier.

He had realized shortly after Minato turned over command of the battle what he intended to do. He had known of Minato and Jiraiya's research into the Death God's Seal, had even contributed some of the journals from his personal library. He just wished that he knew enough about sealing to do it himself. Minato was the most promising shinobi he had ever met, and even now he grew stronger and stronger. Minato had a wife who had just given birth and a son who should be able to enjoy life with both parents. Now... now that would never happen.

Sarutobi was drawn out of his musings as he noticed several ninja collapsing as they succumbed to chakra exhaustion. The genin and support ninja who lacked the necessary reserves to fuel the barrier moved in to assist them, but Sarutobi could see that more and more ninja would be dropping soon. Even the experienced jounin looked shaky and pale from the chakra drain.

He weighed his options at this point. He could send in fresh ninja and mandate the use of soldier pills and the Eight Gates – for those capable of it – to extend the duration of the barrier. Such a course could cause irreparable damage to the ninja involved and would likely still only gain them another minute or two. On the other hand, he could drop the barrier now, while most of his forces still had some power left and could assist in the battle. Given the Fourth's plan, it was likely that matters within the barrier were already settled, one way or another.

Nodding sharply, he made his decision.

"Attention all ninja! On my signal you are to drop the barrier and prepare to engage the tailed beast!" his voice rang out. He could see the ninja around him gather themselves, determination warring with fear in their faces. He waited a few more seconds, then shouted, "Now!"

The barrier flickered, then disappeared completely. Sarutobi himself lead the charge into the now revealed clearing, only to falter as he surveyed the scene before him.

The tailed beast was nowhere in sight. He could see evidence of a battle, as claw marks so large they might as well have been trenches were scattered throughout the area, and he could see impressions in the ground caused by Gamabunta leaping about. Gamabunta himself stood in the center of the clearing, eyes closed and head bowed. His sword was sheathed and his pipe was stuck through his belt. Blood dripped from jagged wounds across his face and head, but the giant toad paid them no heed.

Sarutobi moved forward to question Gamabunta, but his attention was suddenly diverted to the top of Gamabunta's head as a flare of chakra suddenly appeared. It was far, far weaker than what he had felt earlier in the day, but still unmistakably the tailed beast's chakra. He could also make out a baby crying at the top of its lungs.

When he performed a shunshin to the top of Gamabunta's head, he found the chakra already receding back into the baby, leaving no visible mark that it had been there at all. The child continued to cry insistently until Sarutobi finally picked him up. The child quieted under his gentle rocking and quickly drifted off to sleep.

He finally turned his attention to the figure lying nearby. Minato's eyes were still open, even in death, and his face was pale and drawn. The expression on his face was heart-wrenching - the pain and guilt he felt in his final moments were plain to see.

Sarutobi slowly knelt beside Minato's body, and reached out with one shaking hand to close his eyes. He could feel tears streaming down his face, but he just let them flow. He pulled off his long scarf and laid it across Minato's head, then moved back down to the ground.

He paused on his way down to speak into Gamabunta's ear. "I would like to ask you about what happened inside the barrier, but I need to see to the village first. Can Jiraiya talk to you later?" Gamabunta gave a slight nod, his head still bowed in sorrow.

The moment he arrived at Gamabunta's feet he was surrounded by anxious ninja. None could voice their questions aloud but their concerns were plain to see. Some were eying the bundle in Sarutobi's arms curiously, while a few were clearly already drawing conclusions about what had happened within the barrier. Sarutobi scanned the crowd and soon spotted Kakashi's distinct shock of white hair.

"Kakashi." Though his voice was low, it rang out in the silent clearing as if he had shouted. "Please select three other ninja to serve as Minato's honor bearers. Our-" Sarutobi's voice broke from grief, but he forced the rest of the words out. "Our Fourth Hokage has fallen in battle."

* * *

-9:00 PM-

-Konoha, Hokage's Office-

"Ah, Tsunade-chan, thank you for coming so quickly," Sarutobi said. He smiled slightly, but kept his attention on the bundle in his arms.

"Well, whatever you need me for, just make it quick; I need to get back to the hospital. We've got a lot of injured ninja still, not to mention all the ones with severe chakra exhaustion," Tsunade said quickly. She was looking around his office in irritation, so it actually took her a few moments to realize what he was holding in his arms. "Is that a baby?"

Sarutobi chuckled. "I'm glad to see your skills haven't dulled over the years. This is indeed a baby. A very special baby, in fact."

Tsunade growled under her breath, but moved closer, correctly assuming that she was summoned to check on the child's health. She froze a few steps away, and then called out in shock, "Naruto?"

Sarutobi nodded to himself – Tsunade's exclamation all the confirmation he needed that, as he had expected, this was indeed Minato's son. "Ah, so they did go with 'Naruto' for his name after all. I thought they would."

"Old Monkey, why is Kushina and Minato's kid here? Actually, where's Minato?"

Sarutobi finally turned his face towards her, and she was shocked to see his reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Here, in this office, in front of one of his former students, he let his guard down and allowed his grief to show through. "You haven't heard?" he asked quietly, genuinely surprised.

Tsunade shook her head slowly. "All the patients I was working on were in no condition to talk, and I came straight here when the ANBU summoned me. What haven't I heard?" She tried to ignore the foreboding feeling that had settled firmly in her gut and the echo of long dead voices that were never far from her thoughts.

"Minato sacrificed himself to seal away the tailed beast. Given the beast's power, the only option was to seal it away into a child, the younger the better. I suspected he had chosen his own son as the vessel, and you have just confirmed that for me." Sarutobi said softly, turning back to look at Naruto again. His wrinkled hand smoothed back the small tufts of hair on Naruto's head, and he continued to rock the baby gently back and forth.

Tsunade closed her eyes and bowed her head, quietly absorbing the news. Sacrificing his own life to protect others sounded exactly like something Minato would do. Even as she thought about the Fourth Hokage, the faces of Dan and Nawaki, her lover and her younger brother, flashed through her mind. All three had dreamed of becoming Hokage and protecting the village, though only Minato had achieved his dream; Dan and Nawaki had both died long before they even had the chance. And now Minato was gone as well. Kushina would be–

Tsunade looked up quickly. "Does Kushina know?"

Sarutobi shrugged slightly. "I honestly don't know. I sent an ANBU squad to find her first, actually. I assumed she would still be in the hospital, or perhaps back at their house. I expected her to arrive first, in fact. When was the last time you saw her?"

"A few hours ago now, just after Naruto was born. The attack had started and Shizune and I rushed out to see to the wounded."

Sarutobi frowned, wondering where Kushina could possibly be. He wouldn't put it past the incredibly stubborn woman to have charged out into the battlefield despite her weakened state, but he had seen no sign of her there, nor had he seen her rather unique style of jutsu.

"Well, I expect she will arrive before long in any case," he said, recalling the reason he had asked Tsunade to come in the first place. "In the meantime, I would like you to look over young Naruto here. Konoha has no experience with sealing tailed beasts, so unfortunately we have no idea what to expect as far as his health and development is concerned. I also witnessed the beast's chakra flaring up shortly after the sealing took place, though it hasn't happened since."

Tsunade nodded slowly, then stood and made her way over to Sarutobi. She motioned him to place Naruto on the desk, then activated her medical jutsu. The moment she started her scan she drew back with a low hiss. Sarutobi immediately went tense beside her, but waited for her to speak.

"Sensei, how is this seal supposed to work?"

"I... honestly don't know. Seals were never my area of expertise, that was Jiraiya and Minato's area. I know they've both been researching this seal for months now, so until I hear otherwise I would assume that it is functioning as intended. Why?"

"There are trace amounts of the the beast's chakra circulating throughout his entire body."

Sarutobi's eyes widened. "What?" he yelled. Naruto began to fuss as he lay on the desk, and he forced himself to keep his voice quiet. "What do you mean 'circulating'?"

"Well, everywhere blood and chakra flow there are also trace amounts of the beast's chakra." She reactivated her jutsu and began scanning again. She continued talking as she did so. "It's spread evenly throughout the body, not pooling in any one area that I can detect. It also seems to originate from behind his navel - I assume the seal was placed on his stomach? Over the View Gate?" She didn't bother to wait for his nod. "I can't detect that it's causing any damage or deterioration, though I can't say what the effects will be in the long-term. For the moment, I'd say it's actually helping, if anything."

Sarutobi relaxed slightly as she spoke. Perhaps this was how the seal was supposed to function. There could certainly be a lot of benefits to having a secondary supply of chakra, though who knew if the beast's chakra worked in the same way as human chakra. In fact, he recalled descriptions of other vessels using powerful and unique techniques in the past, techniques that no one had managed to replicate. Perhaps this was part of the secret.

Tsunade frowned suddenly. "What the..."

Sarutobi waited for her to continue but she remained silent, still frowning. "What? What is it?" he prompted.

"It... there was some sort of reaction between the beast's chakra and Naruto's chakra, what little of it there is at his age. I don't... I've never seen chakra _do_ that."

"Do what?" He was getting rather annoyed at this point, and was on the verge of activating his own technique just to see for himself.

"It... where the two chakras come in direct contact, it sort of... vibrates. It doesn't seem to cause any damage or side effects, but... how? Why?"

"It _vibrates_? How in the world does chakra _vibrate_?"

Tsunade scowled and deactivated her jutsu. "That's the best way I can describe it, alright? When two different chakras interact they either blend together or repel one another. It's a basic tenet that all medics have to be aware of. I've healed thousands of ninja, and my chakra will either blend with or repel the patient's chakra. Always!" She was starting to get worked up now, her face flushing and her voice rising. "Medics train for years to learn how to handle the problems that interaction can cause! It's the foundation of modern medical ninjutsu! I have personally done years of research to explain and predict those reactions! I have never in my life seen chakra do... _that_!"

Naruto started fussing again, louder this time, and Tsunade snapped her mouth shut and turned away, stomping off to fume in the corner while still muttering under her breath. Sarutobi shook his head, torn between amusement at seeing Tsunade so passionate about yet another medical mystery and worry about what this could mean for Naruto. It was probable that this... vibration was due to the beast's chakra rather than something unique to Naruto, but that didn't explain what was happening or why.

"So... other than the oddity with the beast's chakra, he is in perfect health?" Sarutobi asked a few minutes later, seeing that Tsunade had calmed down and had moved past her "ranting" phase and on to her "research planning" phase.

She nodded distractedly. "Yeah, he's fine, every bit as good as when he was first born."

"Glad to hear it. Once Jiraiya gets here I'll have him check the seal and confirm how it's supposed to work, then Kushina can take him home, or wherever she would like to go." He mentally added a tally of at least two – no, better make it four – squads of ANBU to her entourage. He wasn't about to risk losing Minato's wife and child to some enemy ninja who sensed an opportunity in the wake of the tailed beast's attack. He paused, then turned to face Tsunade. "She could probably use some company in the days ahead, you know," he hinted not-so-subtly.

Tsunade threw him an irritated glance. "If you think I'm about to leave her alone while she's grieving over Minato and adjusting to being a mother you're even more senile than I thought, Old Monkey."

Sarutobi smiled. "Indeed, silly of me to think otherwise."

* * *

-Same Time-

-Gaikai (The Outer Realm), Myobokuzan (Exquisite Tree Mountain)-

Jiraiya landed nimbly on his feet as the reverse-summoning spell ended, having completed its work in bringing him to the home of the Toad Summons. He took a moment to admire the gorgeous scenery around him; lush forests and thundering waterfalls greeted his eyes wherever he looked. Even the buildings the toads had created had a way of blending into the forests around them.

Konoha would always be his first home, but there were times when he was tempted to give up his work as a ninja and live in Myobokuzan. He had resisted the temptation thus far, but every year it became just a little bit harder to resist the peaceful allure of this place and continue his work as a ninja. He knew one day, hopefully many years in the future, the toads would summon him to Myobokuzan and he would no longer be able to find it within himself to leave.

He shook his head; that day may be coming, but it was not today. Today he was here to learn about the last moments of his last and greatest student, Minato Namikaze - the man who had surpassed his teacher in nearly every respect, the man who had become Hokage before the age of thirty, the man who he had hoped would succeed him as the Toad Sage.

He greeted the other toads as he made his way to Gamabunta's dwelling. Word had already spread throughout the village if their solemn demeanor and consoling words were any indication. He let their words wash over him, thankful for their support but unable to truly face his feelings on the matter at the moment.

When he finally entered Gamabunta's home, he found the Toad Chief sitting quietly while his wife applied bandages to his face. Jiraiya was shocked to see that the wounds Gamabunta had taken in the battle with the tailed beast had remained after the summoning ended – that had never happened before, and he hadn't even known that it could happen at all.

"How are you still injured?" Jiraiya blurted out.

Gamabunta's eyes shifted to stare at Jiraiya. "The Bi- the tailed beasts' power is not to be underestimated," he said firmly. Gamabunta then paused uncertainly, struggling to find the words to explain the situation. "Their power is... not like the power of humans. Because they... when... the wounds they give us carry over, alright?" Gamabunta finally shouted out, frustrated. Gamabunta's wife Gamatsuchi smacked him on the back of his head, scolding him for moving while she was fixing him.

Jiraiya was rather surprised at Gamabunta's reaction to the question, and a little concerned as well. He knew there were secrets that the Toads kept from him concerning their own existence, but always before it had seemed like irrelevant details. Now he was certain the Toads knew something very important and _wanted_ to tell him, but couldn't.

He thought about pressing for details, but his experience fishing for information that the Toads didn't want him to have told him that would be a bad idea. He may have signed a contract with them, and he may have their respect and friendship, but there were clear limits.

"I see..." Jiraiya said slowly, trying to convince himself Gamabunta and Gamatsuchi were not looking at him with pity when he said that. "Well, that's not why I came here. I wanted to learn about what happened inside the barrier. You are the only one who can tell us anything."

Gamabunta sighed and nodded, then began relating the events within the barrier from his perspective. When he was finished, Jiraiya looked over the notes he had hastily written down.

"'All within Death's domain and the barrier', huh? Guess that explains why all the trees and grass were dead, and why the summoner's life is taken. I guess the seal also protects the vessel from this, since Naruto survived the sealing. Makes sense, wouldn't be very useful otherwise," Jiraiya mused. He tapped the pen against his chin as he reviewed what he knew about the Death God's seal. "That would explain that third section in the left quadrant..." Jiraiya trailed off, mumbling to himself as he assimilated this new information into his knowledge of the seal.

Gamabunta shifted uneasily, but said nothing.

Jiraiya fell quiet for a time, then looked up at Gamabunta, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Did... did Minato say anything, at the end?"

Gamabunta sighed heavily, but shook his head. "No, Jiraiya, he didn't. Knowing him though, I'm sure he left some sort of message behind, but he didn't say anything while I was there. There was no time."

Gamabunta fell silent as Jiraiya forced back his tears and nodded slowly. "Right, right. I'm sure he did, yeah," Jiraiya said, wiping his face and taking a long breath. "Well, I need to let Sensei know about all this. Thank you for telling me, 'Bunta," Jiraiya bowed in thanks, then turned to leave.

"Jiraiya," Gamabunta called out quietly. "There's something else you need to know. The Great Toad Sage has issued a new prophecy. He says that one of your students 'shall stand in the path of the vengeful spirit', and that 'their clash shall reshape the world'."

Jiraiya felt rage wash over him. "Well, all my students are fucking dead now, aren't they?" The anger left as quickly as it had come, leaving a horrible empty feeling behind. "They're all dead," he finished quietly. He turned and left the building without another word.

Gamabunta sadly watched Jiraiya walk away. His last whispered comment barely managed to reach Jiraiya's ears.

"You aren't."


	3. Limited Understanding

-October 11th, 334 NE-

-3:15 AM-

-Konoha, Tsunade's Residence-

Kuushou was not annoyed.

Despite his success in taking over his vessel and restarting its vital functions – thus ensuring his own continued presence within the human realm – his initial experiments had already uncovered several limitations, even beyond the small amount of youki available to him.

The very first thing he tried was to extend his youki outside the confines of the vessel. It worked, but only to a point. Once his youki extended further than two feet, it was pulled back towards the vessel. The overall sensation was similar to when the Death God sealed him, but ceased once the youki was within the two foot boundary. By essentially "throwing" his youki he could extend this range significantly, but he lost all control of the youki until it was inexorably pulled back to him.

The sensation when that happened was disturbing as well – he lost all awareness of that part of himself, and when it rejoined his main body there was only a memory of nothingness. He had no desire to experience that further, and refrained from "throwing" his youki again.

He hoped that the two foot boundary could be extended in the future, but for now his ability to interact with the world was severely limited.

His next attempt was to form a solid shell of youki around the body and use that to move around. If it worked, he could emulate his normal movements, if limited in size and scope. This attempt was also successful, but, again, only to a point. The amount of youki he could pour into the shell while still maintaining the body's vital functions was incredibly small at this point, and the shell was paper thin. Kuushou was certain that the shell would not withstand even the weakest of attacks from his demon kin. The potential power of the human's chakra was currently unknown, but from what he remembered of the recent battle any of his attackers would most likely be able to pierce the shell with little difficulty.

Further testing was interrupted when the old human appeared and carried him from the battlefield. Kuushou felt the body reacting to the warmth and comfort offered by the human, and made another discovery. With his youki spread throughout the body as it was, he experienced everything the vessel did as though it was his own body.

The body also apparently functioned as a living being's would, despite the presence of his youki. In this case the body's functioning began to slow, though not to a harmful extent. In fact, this current state required even less youki to maintain than before. This must be the "sleep" that corporeal beings experienced.

While the body rested Kuushou himself, and more importantly his senses, was unaffected. He couldn't see out of the vessel's eyes as they were currently closed, but all the other senses continued to function. His own innate ability to sense the energies of the world around him was similarly unaffected, though the barrier of the child's flesh prevented him from seeing the world as he normally would.

He heard the old human speaking to the other humans, then later his weeping and ranting. He understood the language well enough, but lacked the context to make sense of his words. Kuushou filed everything away as potentially useful information anyway – he was stuck in this human vessel for the time being and needed to adapt.

Kuushou had feared discovery and death when the female human announced the presence of his youki – though she called it chakra, as if he were a human. Fool. – but relaxed when the old human dismissed it as the proper functioning of the seal. For all Kuushou knew, the old human could be correct, though he personally suspected otherwise. He also paid close attention to the female's rant about the strange interaction between his youki and the vessel's chakra. This would merit further study.

When the second male arrived – and Kuushou decided he really needed to pay attention to names if he was going to pass as human – he listened closely to the discussion of the seal, but learned nothing of value. The second male was very quiet, unusually so if the others' words were any indication, and did not go into any detail other than to say that the seal was intact. Kuushou also paid close attention to the confrontation that occurred when the other female barged into the room. It appeared there was discord within the human ranks, and he could potentially use this to his advantage.

Which brought him back to his current circumstances. The second female - apparently the vessel's mother, if her words were any indication - had refused to put him down for hours on end. She had sought out the first female and they had talked and wept together for some time, but had discussed nothing of relevance that Kuushou could determine. Even the irony of their resolution to not let anyone mistake the vessel for the "tailed beast" grew stale quickly. It was difficult to laugh at their lack of understanding when he was also a victim.

And now they, along with the vessel, were asleep. He wanted to continue testing the limits of his current situation, but had already determined that any further "flares" as they called them would bring suspicion and mistrust upon him. Given his current helpless state, that was unacceptable.

Then he noticed that the body seemed to be demanding sustenance, and increasing the flow or concentration of his youki to deal with it did nothing to alleviate the problem. After attempting to use the body's limbs to rouse the female currently holding him, he was forced to call out using the body's vocal chords.

He, the Kyuubi no Youko, the strongest demon in all of Makai, was now a helpless babe crying for his mother's milk.

Kuushou was not annoyed. He was _furious_. That his anger stirred his youki and only made the vessel cry louder did not appease him in the slightest.

* * *

-Same Day-

-8:55 AM-

-Konoha, Hokage's Tower, Council Chambers-

The Council Chambers located in the Hokage Tower were the traditional meeting place for the representatives of Konoha's government, both military and civilian. The room itself was large but sparsely decorated. Three large tables arranged to form a triangle stood in the middle of the room. One table was reserved for the ten elected civilian representatives. The second table was reserved for the representatives of the ten most prominent or powerful ninja clans. The last table was reserved for the Hokage, the ANBU Commander, the Jounin Commander, and any guests or representatives they chose to invite to the meeting. A few more tables were arranged along the walls, meant to hold food or refreshments for when the meetings ran long.

The representatives were currently separated, with the ninja talking quietly to each other on one side of the room and the civilians mingling on the other. The civilian representatives on the council had spent most of the night with their families as they marveled at the fact that they had been spared destruction. A few of their number had ninja relatives, sometimes brothers or sisters, sometimes children, but for the most part their immediate families had come through unscathed. They considered their good fortune both a miracle and a testament to the power of their village.

Their ninja counterparts had not fared nearly so well. The ninja appeared calm and stoic, but small gestures of comfort and commiseration could be seen as they heard of the losses each had sustained.

Of the ten shinobi clans which had a seat on the council, only eight were currently present: the Aburame, Akimichi, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Nara, Senju, Uchiha, and Yamanaka clans. The Kiyomizu and Murakami clan seats were empty, and would remain so. Those two clans had been on the decline in recent years and had been reduced to seven and five members respectively. There had already been quiet talk of revoking their seats on the council and opening them up for other clans or representatives to occupy, but that was all moot now. All of the clan members had been active ninja, and all of them had perished in the battle against the tailed beast.

While the other clans had survived, they had not done so unscathed. Shigeo Aburame had lost both of his parents and his wife, not to mention several other clan members. The Akimichi were traditionally close combatants and lost two members before it was determined their jutsu would be completely ineffective. The Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Nara, and Uchiha had lost several members each, including Tsume Inuzuka's husband, Kenichi. The Yamanaka were keeping it quiet for the moment, but several members had attempted to utilize their mind-based jutsu against the Kyuubi and had yet to awake. There was some hope they could still recover, but it diminished with each passing hour. The Senju clan, consisting solely of Tsunade Senju, was technically the only clan to come through the conflict without losses.

At precisely nine o'clock, the council doors opened and Hiruzen Sarutobi strode into the chamber, accompanied by the ANBU Commander in the traditional dragon mask and the current Jounin Commander, Kensuke Sawada. The room fell silent as their attention focused on the Third Hokage.

In the years since his retirement, Sarutobi had relaxed considerably and allowed a more laid-back, genial personality to shine through. He was still involved in shinobi affairs in an advisory capacity but generally appeared to be enjoying his retirement to the fullest. It was not uncommon to see him strolling through the village, enjoying the weather or idling in the park, simply observing the people of the village with a smile on his face.

That was not the man who walked into the council chambers. This man walked firmly and with a clear sense of purpose, his eyes sharp and his face grim. Despite his nearly sixty years of age, there was no sign of weakness in his posture or gait, and everyone in the room sat a little straighter as they remembered why he was known as the "God of Shinobi". They remained silent as Sarutobi stopped before the chair reserved for the Hokage. He turned and faced the rest of the council, but pointedly did not sit. Normally Sarutobi would be accompanied by his two former teammates and closest advisers, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Their absence likely meant that they had not survived the battle with the tailed beast.

As everyone else took their seats, the Jounin Commander cleared his throat and began the meeting.

"Ladies and Gentleman, you all know why we are here. Our village has suffered a catastrophic loss of life, and we must act swiftly and decisively to both protect the village and replenish our forces. Among our many losses was Namikaze Minato, our Fourth Hokage, who gave his life performing a technique that ultimately ended the battle and prevented further loss of life. A moment of silence for our Hokage and our fallen comrades, please."

Everyone in the chamber bowed their heads. After ten seconds, Kensuke continued.

"Given this loss, our village is currently without a leader. As such, our first order of business is to appoint a new Hokage to lead us through this trying time. I hereby nominate Hiruzen Sarutobi, our previous Third Hokage."

Tsunade immediately spoke up. "Seconded," she said firmly. She was echoed a moment later by the ANBU Commander. The rest of the council quickly nodded in agreement, though Fugaku Uchiha hid a frown as he did so.

The Jounin Commander eyed the room for a moment, then spoke again. "Does anyone have reason to object to this nomination?" He almost managed to keep the smirk out of his voice as he did so, but several people in the room snorted. As if anyone could object to the God of Shinobi.

"Are there any other nominations?" Kensuke asked. He eyed the room warily this time. Despite Sarutobi's obvious qualifications and proven ability, there were at least two other people in the room who could make a serious argument for their own candidacy for Hokage: Fugaku Uchiha and Tsunade Senju. He personally didn't believe Tsunade would ever want the job despite her lineage and prowess, but Fugaku was another matter entirely. He possessed sufficient skill and more than his share of ambition, though he kept it tightly controlled in most circumstances.

Sure enough, Kensuke could see irritation shining through Fugaku's carefully blank facade. While the comparison of Minato Namikaze and any other ninja in Konoha - with the possible exception of Sarutobi - would always end in Minato's favor, the comparison of a Sarutobi well past his prime and years into retirement against a much younger and actively serving Fugaku Uchiha was not so clear cut. In terms of experience and skill Sarutobi would win hands down, but his age worked against him now. Fugaku was twenty-nine years old and was on the cusp of becoming an S-rank shinobi, and if appointed Hokage could conceivably enjoy a term of service nearly as long as Sarutobi's own. Sarutobi was still fit, but in ten years he would be an old man while Fugaku would be in the prime of his life.

Kensuke stiffened slightly as Fugaku slowly stood and cleared his throat. It technically wasn't forbidden to nominate yourself for the position of Hokage, though in practice it had never been done.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that I believe this village would be best served by appointing an experienced Hokage. I move that we vote immediately to appoint Sandaime-sama as our Hokage once more so that we can proceed to address the many pressing concerns facing our village." Fugaku spoke calmly and evenly, making eye contact with each person in the room in turn. He was looking directly at Sarutobi when he finished, and held his gaze for a long moment before he sat down again.

Kensuke was impressed despite himself. That little speech had probably done more to help Fugaku follow Sarutobi as Hokage than any amount of posturing could have; everyone in the room knew of Fugaku's ambition, and that he was willing to set it aside for the village spoke well of him, regardless of the motivations behind it.

Nodding slightly at Fugaku in respect, Kensuke waited for someone to second the motion, and Tsunade once again lent her voice to the proceedings. The vote was unanimous.

Sarutobi nodded sharply. "I thank you all for your continued faith in me. The Will of Fire burns strong in all of you, and with your support we shall come through this stronger than ever," he said, then finally sat down.

"Our first order of business is to assess the current state of the village in the wake of the tailed beast's attack. Dragon has surveyed the damage to the village and conducted a headcount of our ninja forces in preparation for this meeting. Dragon."

The ANBU Commander stepped forward and bowed. When the ninja spoke, the voice was distorted by the mask and unidentifiable as to age or even gender but was still quite understandable. "Yes, Lord Hokage. The damage to the village itself was minimal, limited to shattered glass and minor damage caused by the beasts roar and incidental damage accrued during the evacuation. No buildings or infrastructure were damaged." The ANBU Commander paused to gather his thoughts for a few moments, then continued. "The survey of ninja forces reveals that one hundred and seven ninja have been confirmed dead, with an additional two hundred thirty one unaccounted for and presumed dead."

Stunned silence filled the chamber. The civilian representatives had been isolated from the battle itself, and while they understood the danger had no idea the battle had gone so badly. The ninjas on the council knew things had been bad, but even they were shocked that so many had died. The ANBU Commander continued.

"Of the three hundred thirty eight ninja confirmed or presumed dead, seventeen were ANBU, eighty-one jounin, one hundred sixty-two special jounin, and the remaining seventy-eight chuunin. In addition, there are twenty-eight ninja - two ANBU, seven jounin, three special jounin, and sixteen chuunin - who are listed as permanently disabled. Analysis of mission capacity and defensive capability is ongoing, but initial estimates indicate that, including all ninja who were away on missions during the attack, we have seven ninja cleared for S-rank missions, and less than thirty cleared for solo A-rank missions. If we maintain our current defensive allocation, Konoha will experience nearly a seventy percent loss in mission income in the next year alone. Projections indicate that Konoha will be bankrupt or overrun within three years."

Sarutobi's head was bowed as he heard the death toll. Three hundred thirty eight ninja, dead on his orders, while under his command. Only the death tolls of the Second or Third Ninja Wars compared, and those were spread out over years - this had happened in less than three hours.

The other members of the council slowly digested the news. The civilians looked faintly ill, their previous belief that Konoha had been spared by some miracle feeling hollow now that the consequences were becoming clear.

After a full minute of silent contemplation as each member considered the situation, Sarutobi spoke up. "Our most pressing concern is the manpower available for missions. We can't decrease our defensive allocation - if anything, we'll need to increase it. The other villages will test us once word gets out about the attack, and if they sense weakness they will not hesitate to take advantage. We also can't allow income from missions to drop so far. I will request support from the Fire Lord, but I suspect we'll be lucky to get enough to cover five percent of our annual income, and that will dry up well before we have recovered. He has always maintained that the village should be self-sufficient, and his generosity will only extend so far. The Logistics Division will need to provide specifics, but for the purposes of this discussion let us assume that we can allow income to drop to eighty percent of our current levels at most.

"In order to shore up our manpower, for the foreseeable future I will be placing the village on a limited war footing. All inactive ninja will be reactivated, including clan heads and clan elders. All leaves and vacations are hereby canceled, and all reserve ninja will be called into active duty. Dragon, how many additional ninja does that give us?"

Dragon thought for a moment, then replied, "In theory, that would provide us with three ANBU, roughly forty additional jounin and ninety special jounin, and over two hundred chuunin. However, given how long some of those ninja have been inactive, I would expect the jounin and special jounin numbers to be significantly lower, at least in the short term."

Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I am also increasing the percentage of pay per mission allotted to the village, up to an additional twenty-five percent. Again, the Logistics Division will provide more concrete numbers as our exact situation becomes clear. At the very least this should buy us some additional time to train or activate additional ninja."

The shinobi representatives all winced, but no one voiced an objection. That measure would not be popular, even less popular than pulling some of their clan members out of their retirements. The majority of ninja, especially those without clans, lived off of their mission pay. An additional twenty-five percent would seriously impact their finances.

"In order to alleviate some of the increased demands on our ninja, I am also implementing subsidies for ninja housing and equipment. Any and all ninja will pay reduced prices for goods and services provided by civilians for as long as I deem necessary."

The ninja relaxed slightly, nodding to themselves. They would likely still see less money overall, but this measure would help significantly, and would make the situation much more palatable to the average ninja.

Some of the civilians, on the other hand, frowned. They knew better than to interrupt at the moment, but they didn't see why it was necessary to cut into their own profits. If the village went bankrupt they would be in a bad situation, of course, but wasn't this essentially a ninja problem? Why did they have to sacrifice their own money to subsidize ninja? If they needed more money, then do more missions! That's what the ninja were there for in the first place!

Sarutobi continued, unaware of the thoughts of the civilian council members. "I want all of you to come up with additional ideas for either reducing spending or increasing income, preferably without levying additional taxes on the ninja population. Keep in mind that all ninja cleared for high-ranked missions will likely be unavailable for some time. We will reconvene tomorrow morning for further discussion. However, before we break, there is one other matter that needs to be addressed. It relates to how the Fourth Hokage was able to defeat the tailed beast."

The ninja on the council nodded knowingly, though a look of anger briefly crossed Tsunade's face. Several people noted it, though no one knew what it was about. The civilians on the other hand appeared to be confused. One, Naoki Taniguchi spoke up, the first civilian member of the council to do so since the meeting began. "Ah, Hokage-sama, what do you mean? Didn't the Fourth Hokage kill the beast?"

Sarutobi shook his head. "Actually, no, he didn't. No ninja has ever been able to kill a tailed beast, not even the weakest of them, the one-tailed. The Fourth Hokage instead sealed the beast into a vessel. What is important is the means he used to do so. Minato, along with Jiraiya, was researching an obscure seal known as 'The All-Consuming Seal of the God of Death'. They both agreed that it was the most powerful seal currently in existence, and thus he chose it to seal the nine-tailed beast. He did so knowing that the price for using the seal would be his life.

"As I understand it, Minato initially planned to use the Death God to kill the beast, or at the very least separate it from its power. Gamabunta, Minato's summon, was present during the sealing and told Jiraiya what happened inside the seal, and Jiraiya has since related those events to me. In short, the Death God was unable to kill the tailed beast. Instead, the Death God informed Minato that the beast would be sealed into a vessel and then banished for a period of one hundred years once the vessel failed."

The room relaxed, letting out a tension that had unknowingly been building since Sarutobi began relating the events of the sealing. One hundred years before the beast could possibly return to attack the village. The ninja, who were exposed to seals on a regular basis and had heard of the fate of the other tailed beasts, were already adding years, possibly decades, to that total as they considered the potential life span of the child selected to be the vessel. The civilians, who rarely encountered seals or concerned themselves with the details of ninja life, reached a rather different conclusion.

Naoki spoke again, curiosity evident on his face. "What is the vessel, Hokage-sama?"

"Not what. Who."

" _What?_ The Fourth Hokage turned the beast into a person?" Naoki shouted.

Sarutobi startled, surprised at Naoki's conclusion. "No, he didn't turn the beast into a person, he sealed the beast _into_ a baby. The child is the beast's prison, essentially. It requires a human being to contain a tailed beast, and the younger the child the more secure the seal." Sarutobi replied, attempting to keep the explanation as simple as possible, mindful of the civilians' limited understanding of seals.

Naoki slowly calmed down, then shook his head. "I... see, I suppose. That's rather... unfortunate. At any rate, I assume the beast, or child, or whatever, has already been taken care of?"

Tsunade jumped to her feet. "What is that supposed to mean?" she yelled out, her fists clenched. Yoshikazu Nara frowned, beginning to piece together a disturbing picture as he recalled certain other facts relating to Tsunade, Minato... and Kushina. Several other ninja were muttering to one another, wondering both about Tsunade's outburst and Naoki's odd question.

Naoki shrank back, startled by her outburst. "The Hokage just said that the beast would be banished for a hundred years once the vessel failed. Since the vessel is a human being, I would assume that 'failure' means death. It's a shame, but-"

Tsunade's face turned a particularly violent shade of red and she became an indistinguishable blur as she leapt across the room, fully intending to punch Naoki through the floor and not particularly caring if he survived the experience. Only Dragon's swift reaction saved Naoki's life as the ANBU Commander tackled him out of the way. Tsunade's fist passed through empty air before it met the floor and completely shattered it, peppering the other nearby councilors with shrapnel.

The room descended into chaos. The civilians were scrambling out of the way, shouting in fear or outrage, while the ninja moved to restrain Tsunade. Yoshikazu's shadow connected with Tsunade's and froze her in place, while the Akimichi councilman grabbed her arms and the Hyuuga councilman had his byakugan activated and was poised to disable her at a moment's notice.

Naoki himself appeared to be stunned, even as Dragon lifted him to his feet. It took him several seconds to gather himself, but his voice finally cut through the din. "What...? Why did- You just tried to kill me!" He exclaimed.

Tsunade snarled at him, her face still flushed red with anger, but made no reply. Naoki sputtered for a moment and was about to continue when Sarutobi interrupted him.

"Councilman Taniguchi," Sarutobi said, his voice cold and harder than steel. "You have just implied that I, either personally or through an intermediary, have taken part in the premeditated murder of a newborn infant. Explain yourself."

Naoki paled dramatically, sensing Sarutobi's displeasure. Nonetheless, he calmed himself and straightened his jacket before addressing the room. "My apologies, Hokage-sama, I must have misspoken. I merely meant that, given the situation, it seemed prudent to eliminate the risk of the tailed beast's return as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I do not claim to understand the Fourth Hokage's plans or actions, but you yourself stated that the sealing did not proceed as intended. Given that, we can not know for certain the state of the seal or how effective it will be. Further, you quoted the God of Death himself as stating that once the seal failed, the tailed beast would be banished from the human realm for one hundred years. As such, if we deliberately cause the failure of the seal then we can guarantee one hundred years of safety from this threat.

"I had originally assumed that the vessel spoken of was an object of some sort. It is tragic that a human being was sacrificed in this manner, but I would hope that whoever the child's parents are, they are secure in the knowledge that their sacrifice has ensured the safety of the village for many years to come."

The whole room listened in stunned silence as Naoki laid out his reasoning. The ninja were forced to admit that his argument was logical, if somewhat off base.

Tsunade had resumed her efforts to attack the councilor partway through his explanation, but was firmly held in place by the combined efforts of the ninja around her.

Naoki sensed that the ninja on the council did not agree with his perfectly reasonable explanation, and desperately sought to divert attention away from the topic at hand, if only slightly. A bit of flattery wouldn't hurt either, he thought. He spoke again as an idea occurred to him. "Ah, in fact, Hokage-sama, you haven't mentioned the identity of the child or its parents. They should be recognized throughout the village as heroes for their sacrifice. Who is the... ah, vessel?"

Sarutobi had originally intended to rebuke the councilman for his insinuations and correct his flawed logic, but found himself at a loss. Technically, everything he had said was true. The sealing did not go as intended, the beast would be banished if the child died, and, though he hated the very thought, killing the child would ensure one hundred years of peace. As Naoki, and apparently most of the civilians, believed the seal to be faulty in some fashion, they would not accept that every day the child lived was another day added to that one hundred year total.

Even as his mind cast about for a way to explain the situation that would remove thoughts of murder from their minds, he heard Naoki's next question. Several scenarios where word of Naruto's identity spread throughout the village and would-be heroes sought to "slay the beast" occurred to him, and he responded swiftly to eliminate that threat.

"No, I have not told you his identity, nor will I. From this moment forward the identity of the vessel of the tailed beast is an S-Rank secret, and will be protected as such. If you betray this secret to anyone who does not already know it, you will be executed immediately," Sarutobi said. He would be damned if he allowed any harm to come to Minato's child, especially from overzealous fools.

"Further, Councilman Taniguchi, you are correct when you state that you do not understand the Fourth Hokage's plans or actions, and should keep that in mind before you attempt to interfere with ninja affairs in the future. This matter is closed to discussion, and will not be brought up in the future. Am I understood?"

Naoki gaped in shock as the Hokage summarily dismissed his concerns. He nodded slowly, knowing that any other response would likely only make his situation worse.

"That goes for everyone else as well." Sarutobi continued, sending a sharp glare around the room. The other ninja nodded sharply, most understanding his reasoning and recognizing that the identity of a tailed beast vessel was often considered an S-Rank secret anyway. Tsunade finally appeared to be calming down after Sarutobi had dealt with the situation to her satisfaction, though she occasionally sent a nasty glare in Naoki's direction.

"Good. We will reconvene tomorrow morning, and I expect to hear some _useful_ ideas on how to strengthen our village. Dismissed," Sarutobi said, and quickly exited the room. The other ninja followed on his heels, most already creating lists of which ninja in their clans could be reactivated, and which would need to be trained until they were once again fit for duty. Tsunade spared one last glare for Naoki before she stalked out of the room, muttering incoherently under her breath. Fugaku Uchiha was the last ninja to exit the room, a speculative look in his eyes as he reviewed the events of the meeting.

Naoki continued to gape as the ninja filed out of the room. "That's it? She tried to kill me! You aren't going to do anything about that?" he asked, half to himself. Apparently not, if the empty seats in the room were any indication. He shared a disbelieving look with some of his fellow councilors who had remained in the room, all of them wondering just how much had changed in the last twenty-four hours.


	4. Wheels Within Wheels

-April 18th, 338 NE-

-3:00 PM-

-Konoha General Library-

In the three years since the attack, Konoha had slowly but surely recovered. The ninja worked nearly to the breaking point - and past, for a few - and had to give up some of the luxuries they enjoyed during the earlier times of peace, but were nonetheless able to keep Konoha operational. With the latest batch of graduates from the Academy and the upcoming reviews to determine if any genin were eligible to advance to chuunin, there was even talk that the situation would return to manageable levels, which meant fewer missions overall for each ninja. For most of the veteran ninja, it would be a welcome reprieve.

Kuushou was only vaguely aware of the overall situation of Konoha, though he kept an ear out for any information he could potentially use. His first year, after the odd happenings of his first week, had been spent in ANBU HQ. That had allowed him access to a wealth of information that he had come to take for granted. He was not only able to observe some of the most powerful humans in the village as they trained or studied, but also overheard up to date information regarding all aspects of village affairs. It had helped fill in his understanding of how the village operated considerably.

That had ended after a year. He had instead been sent to an orphanage to live among "children his age", and had thus lost access to what he viewed as vital resources. His protests were dismissed as tantrums and "trouble adjusting", which only served to fuel his anger further. He had continued his protests for nearly a week before he determined that they would not return him to ANBU HQ under any circumstances. As was becoming all too common, he swallowed his pride and forced himself to adapt.

He resolved to form connections among the humans his age, connections that would hopefully prove useful in the future. He found that thinking of his efforts as similar to managing tribal affairs back in Makai helped, if only slightly. He had already determined long ago that demons and humans thought in very different ways, and he still found the actions of humans generally incomprehensible. Nonetheless, he persevered and attempted to form bonds with his "fellow orphans".

What a tremendous waste of time that proved to be.

His initial efforts lead him to the singular, inescapable conclusion that children, while idiotic, were far more observant than adult humans. Despite his study of their behavior and his attempts to mimic their actions and speech patterns - efforts which were apparently more than sufficient to satisfy the adults in the orphanage - he had failed miserably at his attempts to blend in where the children were concerned. After spending more than a few hours in his presence, the children tended to avoid him thereafter, describing him as "weird" or even "creepy". They were never able to explain why they felt this way to the adults when pressed, so the caretakers just responded with general blandishments to "play nice" and "get along". After a few months the pattern seemed to be set; the children would make token efforts to interact with him when urged by the adults but would never willingly initiate contact otherwise. The pattern continued to this day.

Despite his failure to form connections, the overall situation had improved considerably as far as Kuushou was concerned. Ironically, his isolation had proven to be a boon in this regard, as he was able to sneak away without drawing attention and spend his time observing the rest of the village. He initially focused his efforts on studying the interactions of adult humans in an effort to prepare for the future, but changed his path considerably when he discovered that the humans kept a repository of all their knowledge, and that it was open to the public.

It took him a few hours to construct a scenario that would allow him unfettered access to this "library" without attracting undue attention, but once again his isolation proved a boon. After pestering anyone who would listen to "teach him to read" because he was "bored" since "no one would play with him", he was introduced to the written word far earlier than was the norm for children. When he picked up the requisite skill at a voracious rate, the adults began to chatter excitedly about a "genius intellect" and actually went out of their way to encourage him. Seeing an opportunity, Kuushou willingly played along, taking whatever tests and answering whatever questions they wanted him to, as long as he got more books.

He was careful not to present himself as knowledgeable, however, just intelligent. The latter was beneficial, the former could prove disastrous. He "miraculously" grasped most concepts after only seeing them once, but he made sure he "didn't know" if he couldn't explain where he had acquired such knowledge. As he was given access to more advanced books and scrolls, however, he soon had a ready excuse to allay any suspicions.

The last few months Kuushou had spent the majority of his time holed up in the library, gradually increasing the difficulty of the subjects he studied. He had already begun studying subjects generally taught to children twice his age, and hoped to move even higher soon. Once he had established that he could comprehend the text as well as any adult, he could then read any and all books without raising suspicion, and he could begin researching far more useful areas, such as human psychology and chakra theory. Even the dictionary they had given him early on had proven far more useful than he had imagined, providing some useful insight into how humans viewed the world.

Kuushou smiled to himself as he opened up his next book, "Legends of the Tailed Beasts". Yes, his current situation was irritating, but it was not without its benefits.

* * *

-5:30 PM-

-Outside Konoha General Library-

"You sure about this? I mean, it's just a kid. Four, maybe five years old? What's so dangerous 'bout him?" Masato asked quietly. He was a plain looking man; close-cropped black hair, average height, slightly overweight, sturdy clothing of common material. Most people wouldn't look twice at him, which was just the way he liked it. He was currently leaning against the side of a building across the street from the library, idly watching the people walking by as he conversed with his companion.

" _Yes_ , I'm sure. Our source was very specific. The kid himself technically isn't a threat, but I can't tell you what is. There's a law about it, after all." His companion wore similar clothing, though he looked uncomfortable in them, as if he wasn't used to wearing them. He wore a large hat that provided considerable shade and just happened to also obscure most of his face.

"There's laws about murder, too. Particularly murderin' kids. Decent folk take that sorta thing real personal." Masato said dubiously, eying the other man.

"As if you care. You've already got your money, now just do the job." The man snapped, then turned and stalked off.

Masato smirked as the man left, then returned his gaze to the library across the way. The old bastard had a self-righteous attitude that rubbed him the wrong way, and Masato just loved to mock people like that. They treated him as if he was some sort of scum, when _they_ were the ones hiring him to kill kids. Hypocrites.

It was true though; as long as he got paid, he didn't much care what he did. His "friend" had been kind enough to pay in advance, and paid well to boot. Despite all the doom and gloom talk about mysterious threats and civic duty, Masato would bet his considerable pay that this kid was some illegitimate bastard a rich merchant or nobleman found inconvenient. Wouldn't be the first time he'd been hired to clean up that kind of mess, and likely wouldn't be the last.

Another five minutes of waiting and his target walked out of the building, loaded down with books. A touch strange to see a kid readin' that much, but it gave him the perfect opening to approach the target without raising his guard.

"Hey kid, you need some help with those books?" Masato called out, a friendly smile on his face.

* * *

-11:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

Ibiki Morino and Inoichi Yamanaka stood at attention before the Hokage's desk, postures stiff and hands clasped behind their backs. They kept their expressions carefully controlled and professional, but beads of sweat were running down their faces despite the cool temperature of the room. Their eyes were glued to the man sitting at the desk, watching warily. Beside them stood the ANBU Commander, dragon mask firmly in place.

The object of their concern, Hiruzen Sarutobi, currently had his hands clasped before his face and his head bowed. His whole body would occasionally tremble and shake. They did not mistake this as a sign of weakness or illness however. No, the killing intent permeating the room made it clear that the Hokage was very, very angry right now. They just hoped he didn't decide to lash out at them.

Sarutobi's fist suddenly slammed onto his desk. A loud crack echoed throughout the room as part of the desk shattered from the force of his blow. "Damn it!" he roared. "Dragon, how the _hell_ did this happen?"

Dragon bowed sharply. "I have no excuse, Hokage-sama. Hawk and Cat evaluated the man as he approached and determined that he was unarmed and possessed a civilian level of chakra reserves, and thus presented no threat. Given his... current state we have been unable to determine where he was carrying the knife or how it was concealed. Given his tactics and the speed of his attack we can only assume that he was a professional assassin. We have been unable to determine if he was trained as a ninja, though given his reserves it seems unlikely."

Sarutobi growled under his breath, but reined in his initial impulse to lash out at the ANBU Commander. Questioning the skills of his ANBU would get him nowhere, and would most certainly do more harm than good. That didn't mean he would let this pass without some form of punishment, however. "Hawk and Cat are to undergo remedial training for the next two weeks. I want them to report to Gai for an _intense_ martial arts regimen. Am I understood?"

Dragon winced. Gai Maito had already established himself as a taijutsu genius and was considered the strongest ninja in all of Konoha as far as hand-to-hand combat was concerned. The absolutely brutal training methods he employed were even more legendary, and Gai considered such methods "normal". Dragon couldn't even imagine what would qualify as "intense" for Gai. Hawk and Cat would have a very, very painful two weeks ahead of them.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Dragon said stiffly.

Sarutobi paused, then broached the subject that worried him the most. "What have you determined about Naruto's... reaction?"

Dragon took a long moment to respond. "Based on the reports from Hawk and Cat, once the assailant stabbed Naruto he immediately began to walk away. They believe he was attempting to leave the area entirely before anyone noticed what had happened. However, before he made it two steps the tailed beast's chakra exploded from Naruto's body and formed what they described as 'large, animal-like claws'. These chakra claws grabbed the assailant and pulled him back towards Naruto. They state that the man began screaming in pain the moment the claws made contact, and our analysis of his remains indicates that large portions of his body were burned or dissolved.

"Our medics concluded that the tailed beast's chakra displayed properties similar to fire or acid. Without further experiments we are unable to determine whether this will always be the case for anyone other than Naruto, or whether the chakra changes depending on the situation. We can state for certain that Naruto suffered no ill effects from the usage of the tailed beast's chakra."

Sarutobi relaxed slightly, and motioned for Dragon to continue.

"Once the claws had a firm hold on the assailant, they proceeded to crush and tear his body apart, which killed him more or less instantly. Once the assailant was dealt with, the tailed beast's chakra withdrew and Naruto collapsed. Hawk secured the scene and called for a med-nin while Cat began applying emergency care."

Sarutobi pondered for a few moments, then asked, "Do you think Naruto-kun had control of the beast's chakra?"

"I do not believe he was fully conscious of his actions, Hokage-sama, but I do believe it was under his control, yes. The chakra did not exhibit the same malevolence as during the attack, which I attribute to the absence of the beast's consciousness. I believe the beast's chakra was drawn out as part of an instinctual response due to the severity of the attack. If the beast was in control the three civilian bystanders would likely have been targeted next. Instead the chakra immediately withdrew once the threat had passed."

"What happened to the civilians?"

"They have been detained for questioning, officially as witnesses - at this time they are still being held in ANBU HQ. I hereby request permission to alter or remove this event from their minds to prevent the spread of Naruto's identity among the civilian populace once their interrogation has been completed."

"Granted." Sarutobi said immediately. He then turned his attention to Ibiki. "What have you been able to find out?"

"As we are unable to question the assailant directly, we have canvassed the area for anyone who saw him prior to his attack on Naruto. Based on the description we provided, one of the librarians mentioned that she saw him talking to someone in a large hat that obscured his face shortly before the attack took place. With only that vague description to go on, our attempts to locate this possible accomplice have so far turned up empty. An Inuzuka squad is attempting to find a scent trail, but that area is heavily trafficked and they have had no luck so far.

"We have also attempted to compile a list of all known persons aware of Naruto's status and identity. Given the events immediately following the tailed beast's attack, the entire ninja force is aware in general terms that a vessel exists, and that the vessel was born on or shortly before October 10th of that year, but no more than that. Narrowing the list to those who know of Naruto's identity specifically still leaves us with over three hundred ninja. The ANBU Commander and Jounin Commander, as well as every clan head are, of course, aware. I presume Jiraiya-sama is aware as well. As Naruto's primary physician, Shizune-sama and her staff are also aware. In addition, due to their ability to detect the presence of the tailed beast, it was determined a necessary risk to inform all members of the Aburame, Hyuuga, and Uchiha clans. Due to the interaction between the tailed beast and their clan jutsu, all Yamanaka clan members have been informed as well.

"Further, due to Naruto's time in ANBU HQ and the frequency that ANBU is tasked with duties relating to Naruto, all members of ANBU past and present are aware of his status. There are sufficient med-nin qualified to care for Naruto that belong to one or more of the preceding groups that it has not been necessary to inform any other medical staff of his status, which fortunately includes the events of this evening. With the exception of those currently away on missions, all ninja on that list are currently accounted for and are considered to be in good standing with the village.

"That said, Shizune-sama was under investigation for a year after... her teacher left the village. As I am not privy to the details of that situation, I am unable to draw conclusions as to their potential culpability in this matter," Ibiki concluded.

"Given the nature of the leak, Shizune-chan and her teacher are not a risk," Sarutobi said dismissively. He knew of another name to add to that list, but was not about to bring it up given the present company. "I note that no civilians are included," Sarutobi said slowly. "And yet, someone hired an assassin to kill him. Am I to believe that one of my own ninja did this?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Ibiki said quickly, paling. "However, given the numbers involved, it is impossible to determine which, if any, leaked this information. There is always the possibility the information was accidentally released without the person's knowledge as well. At this time, the investigation has no further leads."

Sarutobi nodded, his face carefully neutral. Inside, however, he was seething. Someone had attempted to murder Minato's son, the boy he'd come to think of as his own grandchild, and while the one who had perpetrated the attack was dead it seemed that the person or people who hired him would be getting away with it.

He turned at last to Inoichi. "How is Naruto-kun doing?"

Inoichi frowned, uncertain how to start. At Sarutobi's impatient look however he quickly settled on relating the hospital report first. "Naruto-kun woke and was able to speak coherently a mere two hours after the incident, shortly after the surgery was concluded. He had no issues answering the questions I asked in the time I was allowed to visit him. In addition, Shizune-sama performed the most recent examination thirty minutes ago and was unable to find any evidence of injury. At all."

The other ninja in the room stirred at this. Sarutobi's brow crinkled in confusion. "Hawk and Cat reported that the blade was buried in Naruto's side..." he said, glancing at Dragon who nodded in agreement.

Inoichi shook his head. "From what I personally observed, given the state of his clothing and the amount of blood - well, maybe not the blood." He interrupted himself with a small shudder. He decided to restart his explanation. "His shirt had a cut located roughly between the fourth and fifth rib, consistent with a blow aimed at the heart. In addition, the med-nin who first operated on Naruto said that he removed a blade roughly six inches long from Naruto's side at the beginning of surgery, more than long enough to reach his heart. I understand that ANBU is currently examining the blade for potential evidence." At Inoichi's prompt, Dragon nodded again. Inoichi continued, "However, as I said, the latest examination showed no evidence of any injury whatsoever. Shizune-sama concluded that the injury had completely healed without scarring in five hours, perhaps even less."

Ibiki let out a low whistle. "Impressive. Is that the beast's work, or did one of his parents have a bloodline?" He asked, glancing the Hokage curiously. While Ibiki was one of the ninja fully aware of Naruto's status, his lineage was another matter altogether. To his knowledge only the Hokage and those the Hokage personally informed were aware of the identity of Naruto's parents, though there were plenty of theories.

Sarutobi sighed. "It's almost certainly a side effect of the beast's presence within the seal. When he was first examined following the sealing, the med-nin stated that the beast's chakra was spread throughout his body and was most likely 'helping' him in some fashion. I would call rapid healing help, wouldn't you?"

The other ninja in the room shifted uncomfortably. It was rather telling that Sarutobi still found himself unable to speak Tsunade's name, even though it was obvious she was the only one Sarutobi would trust to examine Naruto under those circumstances. Back then, anyway.

Inoichi cleared his throat uncomfortably. "There do appear to have been some minor... complications following his usage of the beast's chakra yesterday. Faint markings have appeared on either side of his face, three lines on each side. You have to be fairly close to notice them, but they are definitely part of his skin. Shizune-sama believes they may be a consequence of the increased amount of the beast's chakra flowing throughout his system. She estimates that the chakra currently circulating through his system is roughly three times what it was when he first moved to the orphanage. This is in addition to his own chakra reserves, which are very large for a child his age, more along the lines of what one would expect from an elite genin.

"Other than the marks on his cheeks, Naruto is fine physically and will make- or rather, seems to have already made- a full recovery. However, I have some serious concerns about his mental state."

Sarutobi turned to focus solely on Inoichi, much to Inoichi's discomfort. "Explain."

"While I am unable to use the Mind Transfer technique to perform a more thorough examination, I am trained as a psychologist and asked him the standard battery of post-traumatic questions to evaluate his mental state. What I found was... disturbing. Naruto has full recall of the events in question but has little to no emotional attachment to them. He seems to understand that someone tried to kill him, but feels nothing more than minor irritation regarding the attempt. He is similarly dismissive of his own actions, simply stating that he 'removed the threat'. In all seriousness, he was more upset that his books had been damaged than that someone attempted to kill him or that he had... ripped that person apart in response. Given that, I must disagree with Dragon-san's assessment of his reaction, at least partially. While the beast's chakra may have been used on instinct, Naruto had every intent of killing his attacker swiftly and decisively.

"I am generally familiar with Naruto's development up to now, and would agree that he is incredibly intelligent and mature for his age, though still occasionally given to fits of pique. I noted that these fits only happen when he is pulled from his studies. His previous observers have stated that he is too intelligent to connect properly with his peers and that he seeks validation and acceptance through learning and scholastic accomplishment. Prior to today, I would have agreed with their assessment."

Sarutobi felt a knot of worry and fear form in his stomach. He knew he wouldn't like what Inoichi was about to say.

"However, after my talk with him earlier I was reminded of several other cases I had worked on, and not in a good way. I reviewed his records again, going all the way back to his time in ANBU HQ, and his behavior was generally consistent with my theory." Inoichi paused, and inhaled slowly. He resumed speaking, his voice carefully calm and even.

"Naruto is constantly seeking to improve himself, and has developed a personality quirk which he uses to conceal his observations of the world around him. He is also incredibly pragmatic, absurdly so for a child, and considers harm to himself to be inconsequential compared to his objectives. He also actively avoids forming emotional attachments to people who aren't like himself."

Sarutobi's face paled dramatically as Inoichi continued speaking, and Ibiki looked faintly sick. It was impossible to tell Dragon's expression underneath the mask, but the rigid posture of the ANBU Commander's body spoke of considerable tension.

"I think the presence of the beast's chakra in his system forced his mental development to begin much earlier than is normal for children, and Shizune-sama agreed that this was indeed possible, at least in theory. I think Naruto was aware and cognizant as early as six months old and remembers his time in ANBU HQ. Further, I think that Naruto has modeled his personality after the people he observed in his earliest memories."

Inoichi paused, letting his words sink in. After a long moment where no one else spoke, he resumed in a quiet voice.

"Naruto has only acted out excessively on one occasion, shortly after he was moved to the orphanage. This period lasted for nearly a week. At the time everyone thought he was simply having trouble adjusting to his new situation, but now I'm not so sure. If I'm right and Naruto remembers that far back, he probably believes that he was kicked out of ANBU, and has been trying to get back in ever since."

Sarutobi's mind turned back to some of his previous interactions with Naruto, the words they exchanged then taking on a very different meaning in the light of Inochi's theory.

_"I'll make you proud of me, Hokage-sama." Naruto said, his face scrunched into an expression that was simultaneously serious and adorable._

_Sarutobi smiled indulgently, and leaned down to pat his head. "You don't have to call me that, you know. I wouldn't mind if you called me Ojii-san."_

_Naruto frowned, his face confused now but still every bit as adorable. "That wouldn't be proper, would it, Hokage-sama?"_

Another memory, this one from a few months ago, when he had heard about Naruto's incredible test scores.

_"That is very impressive, Naruto-kun. If you keep this up I might have to make some special arrangements for you." Sarutobi said, intending to encourage the boy, to show him that he was proud and happy for him._

_Naruto's eyes burned with a strange intensity as he said happily, "Thank you, Hokage-jii-san!"_

If Inoichi was right, Naruto hadn't seen those occasions as visits from a grandfatherly figure, as Sarutobi had intended. Naruto had seen them as evaluations, ones that he intended to pass at any cost.

Sarutobi fell back against his chair heavily, his eyes distant as he called up other memories, all of them twisting into a horrible mockery of the relationship he had tried to build with Naruto. "Kami, how could this have happened?" he asked. No one in the room answered him.

After a few minutes of silent contemplation, Sarutobi finally turned his focus back to Inoichi. "What can we do to fix it?" he asked.

Inoichi shifted uncomfortably. "At this point I'm not sure it can be fixed, in the sense that you mean. Naruto will likely always exhibit certain traits reminiscent of ANBU. That said, there is still time to show Naruto that he doesn't have to dedicate his entire life to rejoining ANBU. With therapy, I believe he could learn to value his own life appropriately as well as form meaningful connections with his peers. However, I also believe that in this case his peers would be children of ninja clans, rather than civilians. Given his inclinations and future career it is unlikely that he will respect civilian children enough to consider them worth his time, much less friends. Overcoming that particular hurdle will take considerably more time, I feel."

Sarutobi nodded slowly, his mind whirling with plans and possibilities. This situation was his fault, at least in part. If _she_ had stayed and continued to oversee Naruto's development, they might have caught this problem much earlier. Shizune was skilled, but she lacked _her_ experience and in his paranoia he had refused to allow Shizune to so much as see Naruto for over a year. He cursed himself for that decision now. A traitorous little voice in the back of his mind whispered that there was someone else who could have - _should have -_ been watching over Naruto as he grew up. He squashed it reflexively, as he had many times before.

A few minutes passed, each of the ninja pondering their own ideas while they waited for the Hokage to either request their input or reach his own decision.

Inoichi gulped as the Hokage turned to him, a small smirk on his face. "Naruto-kun needs therapy, you say."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he replied nervously.

Sarutobi nodded to himself, the smirk growing ever so slightly. "And you believe he would have more success forming relationships with ninja children, rather than civilians."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The smirk threatened to become a full blown grin, now, and Inoichi felt his throat drying up. "You have a daughter about his age, don't you?"

"Yes, Hoka- wait, _what?"_

* * *

-April 19th-

-8:00 AM-

-ANBU HQ, Hospital Wing-

Kuushou was still lying on the hospital bed when he heard and felt Shizune enter the room. Rather than let her know he had detected her presence, he continued to feign sleep.

"Rise and shine, Naruto-kun!" she called out in a cheerful voice as she threw open the curtains.

Kuushou played his role to perfection as he grumbled incoherently and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head.

"Now, now, none of that. It's time to eat breakfast, then I need to give you another checkup. If everything looks good, you'll be able to go home after that," Shizune continued, her stern voice tinged with amusement. She was glad to see him act more like a normal child. His usual demeanor could be a little worrisome at times.

Kuushou grumbled some more, but slowly sat up and stretched. He watched Shizune from the corner of his eye as she smiled at him. He was very familiar with her, of course, as she had become his primary med-nin around the same time as he was moved to the orphanage. She also insisted that he call her "Shizune-nee-chan", though he took great pleasure in annoying her by forgetting to do so every time they met. Speaking of...

"Good morning, Shizune-sama," he said lazily.

Shizune huffed and stomped her foot. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'nee-chan'? Honestly, for someone so smart you're awfully forgetful."

"Sorry, Shizune-sa, er, -nee-chan. It's just that everyone else calls you that, so..." Kuushou explained.

"And I keep telling you that you aren't everyone else. You don't remember it, but I was there when you were born, you know."

Inside Naruto's body, Kuushou rolled his eyes. He had long ago lost count of how many times she told him that. Externally, he smiled and scratched his cheek, looking faintly embarrassed.

As they settled down and began eating breakfast, with Shizune once again insisting on joining him as he ate, Kuushou decided to use this chance to finally broach a subject he had been leading up to for some time.

"Hey, Shizune-nee-chan... how does someone become a med-nin?" Kuushou asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He still wasn't well-versed in reading humans, so he missed the flash of glee in her eyes as he asked his question.

"Aww, does someone want to be just like their big sister? Well, it takes a _very_ long time and is _very_ hard, but you _might_ just be smart enough to pull it off," she said teasingly. She was a little more serious as she continued. "But first and foremost, you have to become a genin. No one is allowed to study med-nin techniques before they are an active shinobi of the village, after all."

Kuushou rolled his eyes internally again. The human habit of teasing children was incredibly annoying. At least he was able to tease them back, often without the other people knowing.

"That doesn't mean you can't get an early start in your own studies though. I might have a few books you could look up that would get you on the right track, if you are really interested," Shizune offered.

Kuushou smiled widely, using the expression to which the adults seemed to respond so positively. Sure enough, a smile was soon growing on Shizune's face as well. "Really? That would be great! Thanks, Shizune-nee-chan!"

It really would be great, Kuushou mused. Without the med-nin guiding his efforts to fix the damage done to Naruto's body, it would have taken him much longer to heal himself. He was intimately familiar with how Naruto's body was supposed to function, and was learning about how it grew and changed as time passed, but correcting damage on that scale was far more difficult. If he was able to acquire training, he could fix any further damage much more quickly, and perhaps even begin to optimize or alter the body to better suit his needs.

Currently the body could only take so much of his youki before it began to break down under the stress, though he was gradually increasing the amount the body could handle. Manifesting his youki externally, as he had done when he killed the idiot human earlier, was much less stressful overall, and was limited more by the seal than the body. Unfortunately, it was also a dead giveaway, and could potentially attract the wrong sorts of attention.

His use of youki yesterday had been a calculated risk. Based on his observation of the human's response, it was likely that further use of external youki outside of "life or death" situations would not be looked on favorably. Thus, his need to find alternate means of utilizing his power, at least in the short term. Despite his success in increasing the overall amount of youki outside the seal, he estimated that any jounin ninja was still a serious threat to him, and perhaps even chuunin level ninja. An ANBU level ninja probably wouldn't even break a sweat, unless he managed to close the distance. He needed more time.

Shizune frowned. Naruto had withdrawn again, his face going blank as he focused on his own thoughts. She hated when he did this - no child should look like that. She cursed the Hokage for keeping her away from Naruto for so long - she should be raising him, not some orphanage and _certainly_ not ANBU. Of course, ideally his mother would be raising him, but that was no longer an option.

"Naruto-kun," she said, gently laying her hand on his shoulder. His eyes snapped to her hand, and his body stiffened slightly before relaxing. She hated that reaction too, but she ignored it for now. "Finish your breakfast so we can get to your examination. I'm sure you are eager to get back to the orphanage." She left it unsaid that he was likely more eager to return to studying his books than to reunite with any friends - as far as she knew, he didn't have any.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, which soon opened to reveal the Hokage and Inoichi Yamanaka. Inoichi seemed nervous for some reason, but the Hokage had a slightly smug look about him, as if he had just won some victory. Shizune hated that look - in her experience it never boded well for her.

"Greetings, Hokage-sama, Yamanaka-san," Shizune said, her tone polite but reserved.

"Hey, Hokage-jii-san, Yamanaka-san." Naruto said, waving. Inoichi's eyes widened slightly at Naruto's casual greeting to the Hokage, but his nervous look returned quickly.

"Hello, Shizune-chan, Naruto-kun. How are you feeling this morning?" the Hokage asked, moving to stand next to Naruto's bed.

Naruto smiled and moved his arms around energetically, as if trying to physically demonstrate his good health. "I'm feeling great! Shizune-nee-chan did a great job healing me up! I'm ready to get back to studying, and she says I can go back to the orphanage today."

The Hokage winced as Naruto finished speaking, and shared a significant look with Inoichi. Shizune was confused - she hadn't heard or seen anything unusual in Naruto's response, so what did those two pick up on that she missed?

"Actually, Naruto-kun, we're here to talk to you about that. We've been thinking that it might be better if you didn't return to the orphanage after all."

Kuushou stifled his budding excitement. It was unlikely they would send him back to ANBU HQ and the wealth of information contained there, but anywhere was likely to prove more useful than the orphanage. Perhaps the attack had swayed the Hokage to deliver on his promise of "special arrangements" early. He kept that out of his voice though, opting for moderate interest.

"Oh. Where would I be going then?" he asked.

Sarutobi nodded to himself, noting that Naruto had made no objection at the idea of leaving the orphanage. He had spent nearly an hour conferring with Inoichi about how best to word the offer and reasoning, and they had expected this response. "I think you would be better off living with a ninja family, with children who are more likely to share your interests. Yamanaka-san has a daughter around your age, and close ties to several other families with children your age as well. He has volunteered to take you in. Would you like that?"

Shizune reeled in shock. It felt like someone had just punched her in the gut, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. After her years of looking after Naruto, after dozens of repeated pleas and arguments that Naruto should be placed in her care, the Hokage just... gave him away. To Inoichi Yamanaka, of all people. The man had never even spoken to Naruto before yesterday! She was torn between screaming in frustration, breaking down on the spot, and lashing out at the Hokage in anger. It was a close thing, but she managed to pull herself together before she did something she would regret.

Sarutobi watched as Naruto blinked, clearly surprised at the offer, then turned to look at Inoichi. "Yamanaka-san? Why would you want me to live with you?"

Inoichi faltered slightly. Despite the Hokage's reasoning and very persuasive arguments, he still wasn't fully sold on this idea. He had nothing against Naruto, but his one daughter already ran him ragged and he wasn't sure he could handle Naruto full-time on top of that. Still, he had talked it over with his wife and they had agreed, and now it was time to follow through.

"Well, Naruto-kun, I know that you have had trouble making friends at the orphanage, but like Hokage-sama said, I think you will find it a lot easier to get along with children from ninja families. They would be friends you could relate to, friends who shared your interests, maybe even friends you could learn from." From the gleam in Naruto's eye he knew he was interested. Time to go in for the kill. "And not to brag, but Yamanakas tend to be very smart as well, and we have a large private library that I'm sure you would enjoy."

Both Inoichi and Sarutobi had expected that to be the clincher, and were thus very surprised when Naruto still hesitated. Naruto turned to Shizune and asked, "Shizune-nee-chan, what do you think? Would living with Yamanaka-san help me become a med-nin?" A _med-nin_? Where in Kami's name did that come from?

Shizune was overjoyed that Naruto would turn to her for advice on something this important. It proved that her efforts to form a relationship with him had not been fruitless after all. Still, she tried to look at it objectively and give his question serious consideration. It was obvious at this point that the Hokage would never allow her to become Naruto's guardian, even if she was allowed to look after him medically. It was also doubtful that another med-nin would be assigned to care for him just because he was living with the Yamanaka family, and she did agree with their stated reasoning - Naruto would likely do much better in a ninja home than the orphanage. And many Yamanakas were psychologists after all, they tended to- oh. Oh.

She turned to look the Hokage in the eye, then raised an eyebrow and inclined her head slightly in Inoichi's direction. When he nodded grimly in response to her silent question, she bowed her head to hide her face.

She felt like screaming at the Hokage "I told you so," because she had, on multiple occasions. She had told him ANBU was not good for Naruto, that the orphanage was not good for Naruto, but the old bastard had refused to listen. And now Naruto's situation had deteriorated so far that he needed to live with a psychologist full time.

After a few seconds of tense silence, she exhaled quietly and turned to face Naruto again. "Yes, I think living with the Yamanakas would help you become a med-nin, or anything else you want to be. I think you would be very happy there." It almost didn't hurt to say that, to willingly give him away to another family. Almost.


	5. The New Plan

-April 19th, 338 NE-

-4:15 PM-

-Inoichi Yamanaka's Residence-

"Ino-chan, came you come in here for a minute?" Kiku Yamanaka called from the living room. Despite what most people would expect from hearing the Yamanaka name, Kiku did not have blond hair. Her light brown hair hung loosely halfway down her back, though she often wore it in a ponytail when she was working.

While she had married into the Yamanaka clan, she was not a ninja nor did she have any desire to be. She had grown up working in her parents flower shop and continued to do so even after marriage. Her husband Inoichi actively encouraged her in her efforts as he knew how much the shop meant to her, especially after her parents passed away. It was fortunate that he had; the additional income from the shop had proven to be a godsend after the tailed beast's attack and the increased mission fees that followed.

Kiku also had Inoichi wrapped around her finger and knew it, though she didn't abuse that fact. Her daughter had inherited her mother's grace and charming personality and was similarly successful in manipulating her father, along with many other people.

"Coming Kaa-chan!" Ino's voice called from the upper floor, quickly followed by the rapid thumping of her feet as she ran down the stairs. She burst into the living room at full speed, nearly tripping over the table before she came to stop in front of the couch where her mother was currently seated. Even at four years old, Ino already had the delicate features and fair complexion that promised great beauty later in life. Her blond hair was shoulder length and pulled into a ponytail, and she was wearing a light blue dress and sandals.

"Ino... how many times have I told you not to run down the stairs?" Kiku said, her voice stern.

Ino winced, then said contritely, "Sorry Kaa-chan." Deciding it would be better to change the topic, she asked, "What did you want me for, Kaa-chan?"

Kiku shook her head in exasperation, but let the issue go for the moment. "Well, your father and I had a very important talk last night, and wanted to let you know about what is going to happen. It's not anything bad," Kiku hastened to add, seeing Ino's face begin to crumple with worry. "In fact I think you will be very happy, but it will cause some changes."

Ino quickly calmed down after her mother's reassurances, the vague, nameless fears her fledgling imagination had conjured up vanishing under her mother's soothing voice. "What's going to change? What did you and Tou-chan talk about?" she asked.

"Well, you know how your Tou-chan helps people sometimes?"

She nodded silently, vaguely aware that her father's job sometimes included talking to people for a long time and that they felt better afterward. She could understand that; she always felt better when her father talked to her, so why wouldn't everyone else?

"Well, there's a little boy who was hurt very badly. Remember how you felt when your arm broke, and how your Tou-chan and I helped you and made you feel better? Well, this little boy was hurt even more, and he doesn't have a Tou-chan or a Kaa-chan to help him feel better," her mother said softly.

She started tearing up, imagining how horrible she would have felt without her parents around when she was hurt. "That's so sad!" she cried out, hoping that this story got better soon.

Kiku smiled, pleased at her daughter's empathy and how well the conversation was going so far. "We think so too, which is why we have decided to help him. We want him to come live with us from now on, so that he has a Tou-chan and a Kaa-chan and even a Nee-chan to help him out. I know you always wanted a little brother, and now you'll have one."

Ino was surprised at this turn in the conversation, but Kiku had presented the argument well – she had picked up quite a few tricks from Inoichi over the years and understood how her daughter thought. Ino's face scrunched up thoughtfully as she mulled this new information over in her head.

"He'll live with us?"

"Yes, from now on."

"And you'll make him feel better?"

"Yes, we will." Kiku knew a little about the situation and wasn't quite as confident internally, but knew better than to express doubt right now.

She hesitated for a few seconds before she blurted out her next question. "And you'll still be my Kaa-chan and Tou-chan?" Ino asked, her voice uncertain.

Her mother swiftly moved from the couch to kneel in front of Ino and pulled her into a tight hug. "Always, Ino-chan. We love you and wouldn't let you go for anything."

Ino reveled in her mother's embrace, letting the warmth she felt wash her insecurities away. After a minute, she pulled back slightly and asked, with a sly grin on her face, "Can I make him call me Nee-chan?"

Kiku giggled softly, relaxing as Ino apparently accepted the upcoming change in her life. "We'll see honey, we'll see."

Ino giggled along with her mother. "What's his name? What's he like?" she asked after she calmed down.

"Well, his name is Naruto. He's _really_ smart, and he likes to study a lot. He also has a sense of humor, though. Your Tou-chan told me about this one time when Naruto-kun was talking to his teacher, and..."

* * *

-5:00 PM-

-Konoha-

Inoichi nervously ran his hand through his hair again as he and Naruto walked along the road towards his home. He knew Kiku had agreed with the idea of adopting Naruto – they both knew that was what was happening, even if the official paperwork would list the arrangement as a long-term medical treatment – but he was worried about how Ino would take it. This was all happening very fast and he was unsure if his daughter would accept the intrusion of another child into their daily lives. He had great respect for Naruto and his burden, but if this jeopardized his relationship with his own daughter he would call it off in a heartbeat. Hopefully things would go smoothly, though.

He also understood the reason for walking through the town while under the effects of a henge, the technique disguising both himself and Naruto. While the technique wouldn't withstand close scrutiny, it was more than enough for the short walk to his home. It was much safer to delay the revelation of Naruto's survival and new placement until additional security measures were put in place in and around his home. Naruto had raised no objections when the Hokage applied the technique for him, as he lacked the training necessary to apply it himself.

Inoichi glanced over at the child walking beside him. Naruto had a small smile on his face as he walked quickly, keeping up with Inoichi's longer stride. Inoichi had initially tried to hold Naruto's hand as they left ANBU HQ through one of the low profile exits, but Naruto had refused point blank. Inoichi had then attempted to set a slow pace in deference to Naruto's age and size, but Naruto seemed to resent the implication that he couldn't keep up and started walking quickly, actually pulling ahead of Inoichi for a time.

Perhaps this display of speed and endurance was another expression of Naruto's need to prove himself as capable, even against a much older and more experienced shinobi. Come to think of it, Inoichi had never actually seen Naruto look tired... sleepy, yes, but not tired. Was that mentioned in the reports, or – Inoichi shook his head. He was getting sidetracked from the issue at hand.

Looking ahead, Inoichi could already see his house looming in the distance. He'd never felt nervous about coming home before, but the uncertain reception awaiting him had his nerves jangling. He could just picture his daughter's betrayed face staring at him accusingly, tears in her eyes. He would defend himself, but she would refuse to hear his excuses, his pleas for clemency and she would turn her back on him, refusing to call him "Yamanaka-san." any longer. Wait, that wasn't–

"Yamanaka-san," Naruto said again.

Inoichi pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at Naruto. "Yes, Naruto-kun?" He'd already resolved to get Naruto to call him something less formal, though from what he'd heard about the Hokage's and Shizune-sama's troubles in their efforts to do the same he expected it would take quite a while. That was a problem for later, though.

"Is this our destination?" Naruto asked, pointing ahead.

He looked in the direction Naruto was pointing and found himself staring at the front gate of his own home only a few feet away.

"Er, yes. Yes, this is my– _our_ home," Inoichi responded.

Naruto cocked his head to the side as he took in the residence. Inoichi turned to look as well, trying to see his home through another person's eyes. It proved difficult, as everywhere he looked evoked memories, some sad, but most quite happy and peaceful. The two-story building was painted a pale yellow, the white columns supporting the roof of the wrap-around porch providing a nice contrast to the color of the house itself. The yard surrounded the house on all sides, and from their current spot in front of the main gate a small swing-set and sandbox were just visible in the backyard. The entire lot was surrounded by a low stone wall tastefully adorned with vines.

What really drew the eye however were the flowerbeds scattered throughout the yard. Each flowerbed had a distinct theme, yet when seen as a whole they blended together. Each group of flowers had been carefully selected to complement those around it while still providing something unique and beautiful. It was his wife's pride and joy, and the loving care with which she attended to the yard showed.

Inoichi finally looked back to Naruto, who seemed to have finished his own appraisal. "It's... nice." He said, apparently struggling with the words. He paused for a minute, thinking, then added, "Peaceful."

"Ah... thank you, Naruto-kun. I'm glad you like it." Inoichi said. Naruto smiled at him, but it was a fake "I'm smiling because I'm supposed to" smile. Perhaps he didn't like it after all?

Setting aside that concern for the moment, Inoichi moved the rest of the way to the house itself and entered, only dispelling the henge technique once the door had closed behind them.

"Kiku-chan, we're home!" Inoichi called out. He could barely make out some rapid whispering from the living room. He was rather startled when Naruto's head swiveled in that direction and a surprised look crossed his face. Could Naruto make out what they were saying? None of the reports mentioned that his hearing was unusually good... Inoichi sighed and added another item to the rapidly growing list of things he needed to learn about Naruto. He was a little disturbed at just how long that list already was, and it promised to grow much longer before he was done.

"We're in the living room, Inoichi-kun!" Kiku called out, her tone happy. Inoichi felt some of the tension drain from his shoulders; if she was happy, then Ino had taken the news well. The real test was about to begin, but it was a good sign.

The Yamanaka clan head led Naruto from the small entrance way of the house into the living room. He made sure that the first thing he did once he entered the room was to look straight at Ino and give her a happy smile. Sure enough, Ino was watching him carefully and smiled back once she saw his face. She then turned to look at Naruto and immediately stiffened, her eyes wide.

Inoichi began to panic as he snapped his head around to look at Naruto. What, what had he missed? Was Naruto scowling? Did he look unhappy? He wasn't bleeding or hurt, and his clothes were fine... what was Ino reacting to? His thoughts were interrupted when she let out a loud squeal and jumped on Naruto, hugging him with all her strength.

"You didn't tell me he had blond hair! He really is like a little brother! This is great!" Ino shouted happily. Naruto appeared to be enduring the treatment well, though his hands had moved as if to push Ino away from him before settling on patting her shoulder awkwardly.

Inoichi staggered slightly and exchanged a disbelieving look with his wife. All their preparation and worry, and Ino focused on his hair color as the deciding factor?

Kuushou continued to pat the small blond girl - Ino, he reminded himself - on the shoulder. He had expected a reaction similar to what he saw in the orphanage, not this... joyful reception. He had not been aware that human children placed such a strong emphasis on hair color. Though come to think of it, none of the children in the orphanage had blond hair.

He heard Inoichi clear his throat expectantly, and realized he was supposed to introduce himself at this point. Right, his tone should be slightly nervous, a touch excited. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't cheat...

"Er, hello. I'm Naruto. It's nice to meet you, Ino-nee-chan." Her shriek of delight as he addressed her as his big sister almost deafened him, but it was worth it to make sure he was accepted quickly by the child of the household. He would like to say he deduced this aspect of Ino's personality from her earlier words in combination with Inoichi's repeated use of the phrase "big sister" in their conversation, but that would be a lie. He had overheard Ino's whispered conversation with her mother after he entered the house and learned just what to say to make the best impression.

Kuushou kept his arms around Ino as she bounced in place, beaming at everyone in the room. Inoichi glanced at him with an odd look on his face, but it soon gave way to happiness as Ino's joy permeated the room. The tension Kuushou had seen build up in the walk from ANBU HQ had vanished entirely.

Kuushou then turned to look at the other person in the room. The mother, Kiku he thought Inoichi had said, was watching her daughter with a bemused and happy smile. Recalling that adult females liked it when treated as though they were younger, Kuushou struck again, making sure he smiled while he did so. Making a good impression would make sure he stayed; a ninja household, with its promised resources and connections, might even prove to be more useful in the long-term than ANBU HQ.

"Yamanaka-san, you didn't tell me I would have two nee-chans," he said, looking at the mother pointedly. Kiku blushed slightly, pleased at the compliment, while Inoichi gaped, looking at the boy as if he'd never seen him before.

"Inoichi didn't tell me you were such a charmer, Naruto-kun," Kiku said. "I'm Ino's mother, Kiku. You can call me kaa-san too, if you'd like."

So far, so good. Now, not too confident, a little shy. "Al-alright, Kiku-kaa-san," he said hesitantly, moving his eyes away. Kiku smiled fondly at his supposed embarrassment, while Inoichi was watching him with another odd expression.

Ino continued to bounce up and down in excitement, chattering rapidly about all the things she'd do with her new little brother. Kuushou felt a pang of unease as he noticed that Ino had yet to calm down. The girl would stop before too long, he assured himself. It's not like she was _that_ obsessed with the idea of a little brother, was it?

Right?

* * *

-April 20th-

-8:00 AM-

-Hokage's Tower, Council Chambers-

The council was originally scheduled to convene this morning to discuss the impending arrival of the diplomatic delegation from Kumogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The meeting was mostly a formality to confirm that all the preparations were complete and take care of any last minute details or problems. While that remained the official purpose for the meeting, Sarutobi, along with Dragon and his newly promoted Jounin Commander Shikaku Nara, had come up with a plan to potentially expose the source of the assassination attempt on Naruto.

They all agreed that despite the large number of ninja who could have potentially exposed the secret, odds were high that someone on the Council had either arranged it or knew about it. At the very least someone might let something slip and give them a lead. If this plan failed to produce results they would regroup and consider other, more risky, ideas.

Once all the councilors had taken their seats, Shikaku began the meeting. "The first item on our agenda for today was to discuss the preparations for the Kumo delegation, and while that remains on the list, Hokage-sama has another matter he would like to address first. Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi nodded to Shikaku and then stood, clearing his throat. "Esteemed councilors, as you may have heard there was an incident two days ago near the Market District. The investigation is ongoing, but I am prepared to release some details. It appears than an unidentified assailant approached a young child leaving the Konoha Library under the pretense of assisting him in carrying the books he had borrowed. After walking with him a short distance, the assailant then fatally stabbed the young child in the heart."

Sarutobi's eyes were sharp and searching as he scanned the faces in the room for their reactions. Shikaku and Dragon, along with the ANBU guards stationed around the room, were also watching closely. Cries of disgust and outrage echoed throughout the room, with Fugaku Uchiha looking especially horrified. Fugaku probably saw this as reflecting poorly on the performance of his clan's police force, Sarutobi thought.

However, there were two councilors, both civilians, who for a brief moment had smiles on their faces - Naoki Taniguchi and Harumi Kondo.

The desire to strike them down that very moment was surprisingly strong, but Sarutobi kept himself under control and reminded himself to focus on the bigger picture for the moment. Neither Naoki nor Harumi were supposed to know Naruto's identity, which confirmed that someone somewhere had revealed the secret. He had not noticed any of the ninja revealing anything other than the appropriate surprise and disgust, although Shibi Aburame's brow was furrowed slightly, a sign that might as well be screaming out loud for the carefully disciplined ninja. While none of the clan heads outside of Shikaku knew the identity of the supposedly murdered child for certain, it would not surprise him if the highly intelligent and logical Aburame already had strong suspicions at this point.

Naoki apparently couldn't resist a bit of subtle gloating, as he spoke up before the Hokage could continue. "You said the assailant was unidentified, Hokage-sama. Does that mean he got away?" His voice was concerned and troubled, but his eyes were laughing.

The Hokage grinned, his expression feral. "Oh, no, I didn't mean to imply that at all. He is currently in ANBU custody undergoing a thorough interrogation. Once he has spilled everything he knows, he will undergo a public execution. Konoha will not tolerate anyone attempting to kill children."

Naoki looked like someone had punched him in the gut, but he kept himself mostly under control as he slowly sat back in his chair. "That's... wonderful news, Hokage-sama," he choked out. Beside him Harumi looked pale and nervous, and kept glancing around the room as if she expected to be attacked at any moment.

Amateurs. It disgusted Sarutobi that such pathetic people would dare attack Naruto. Apparently it was only now dawning on them that they personally could be in danger from their little plot. They would soon learn just how badly they had been mistaken.

The rest of the council nodded grimly in agreement, although a few ninjas were looking at Naoki suspiciously. A faint buzzing could be heard from Shibi Aburame as the insects with which his family formed a symbiotic relationship reflected his agitation.

One of the other civilian councilors spoke up next. "Hokage-sama, who was the murdered child?"

The Hokage sighed softly. "We are still trying to locate the child's parents or guardians. At this time, we are not ready to release any information as to the child's identity." A small lie, but a necessary one for the moment. If Naruto's attackers believed they had succeeded, they would be more likely to gloat or celebrate in some fashion and thus give away their identities. Their ruse had already uncovered Naoki and Harumi as suspects, but there was no guarantee the plot ended with them, and their source still needed to be found. The deception wouldn't last for long, particularly among the ninja of the village, but it would hopefully last long enough.

"If there are no other questions regarding this matter, I will return the floor to Nara-san to continue the meeting." After waiting a few moments for someone else to speak up, Sarutobi returned to his seat and Shikaku resumed the meeting.

The discussion regarding the Kumo delegation went quickly as everyone confirmed that their individual tasks had been completed and everything was prepared for the delegation's arrival tomorrow morning.

Though the treaty was primarily a ninja matter, the civilians would also be included to begin discussions regarding potential trade agreements. If everything went well, Konoha could be looking at a major boost to trade and the taxes that came with it. While the village was well on their way to recovery, funds were still tight and the ninja especially were overworked and underpaid. That the civilian side was not feeling the pinch nearly as badly as the ninja was a cause of some tension over the past three years, though it hadn't moved beyond words yet.

After the meeting adjourned, Shibi Aburame approached the Hokage, his insects still buzzing. The Hokage had expected Shibi to approach him and so lingered to give him the chance.

"Hokage-sama," Shibi began, his voice low. "Is it true that Naruto has been assassinated?"

Sarutobi chuckled lowly. As he had thought, Shibi had worked out the supposed identity of the victim. "Let's just say that reports of his demise may have been exaggerated."

The buzzing noise slowly tapered off as Shibi relaxed. "I... see. That is good to hear." Shibi paused, then steeled himself and continued to speak. "Though it pains me to even think it, I acknowledge the possibility that someone in my clan leaked the information regarding Naruto's identity. I am prepared to cooperate in any way you deem necessary." He bowed stiffly, awaiting the Hokage's judgment. His clan's honor was very important to Shibi, and he would not rest until his clan was cleared of any wrongdoing... or the guilty party punished. He sincerely hoped the former proved to be the case.

The Hokage nodded solemnly, understanding just how important this was to the Aburame clan leader. "I appreciate your cooperation in this matter, Shibi-san. Please meet with Shikaku to coordinate your efforts." After Shibi acknowledged the command with another stiff bow, the Hokage laid a friendly hand on Shibi's shoulder. "I would rest easy, however. We already have another lead, and it does not point in the direction of your clan at this time. I hope for both our sakes that remains the case."

* * *

-9:45 AM-

-Outside the Hokage's Tower-

Fugaku Uchiha's expression was stoic and proud, as it should be. He strove to maintain a dignified visage whenever he was in public, and usually even when he was among his clan. Only in his own home did he truly relax. To him, that was how a ninja should behave.

His expression was stoic, but inside he was panicking. Those damned fools! He didn't supply them with Naruto's identity so they could hire a god-damned assassin! If he'd known they would try something that stupid, he would never have approached them in the first place. No amount of influence with the civilians in Konoha was worth bringing Sarutobi's wrath down on his head.

He still couldn't believe Naoki was willing to go so far as to kill Naruto himself just to spite the ninja of the village. Fugaku knew that Naoki didn't really believe that Naruto was a serious threat anymore: years of proof that the seal was functioning perfectly had taken the wind out of his sails, and he no longer called for "the vessel's destruction", even in their private meetings.

That change of heart was part of the reason Fugaku had been willing to reveal Naruto's identity in the first place. He expected Naoki to use the information to his advantage politically, publicly backing Naruto when he joined the ninja force and trying to form connections with a ninja practically guaranteed to be important and powerful. It galled him to know that he had misread Naoki's intentions this badly.

After seeing them smile – Kami, the idiots actually fucking _smiled –_ he knew it would only be a matter of time until ANBU were dispatched to take them into custody. After that, it was a matter of hours before they spilled everything they knew, one way or another, and ANBU would be coming for him next. He needed to regain control of this situation, and fast.

He smiled slightly and nodded his head in response to the greetings he received as he walked down the street towards the Uchiha Compound. As the Chief of the Konoha Police, he was one of the most recognized ninja in the village, second only to the Hokage himself. He made sure to maintain a highly visible presence among the civilians, and his efforts had paid off.

Among civilians, he was probably even more popular than the Hokage himself, and he did everything in his power to make sure that his popularity continued to grow. It would make things so much easier if, when Sarutobi finally died – though even Fugaku didn't wish that to happen too quickly – there was only one true option for his successor. Securing the unanimous support of the civilian side of the council would make sure Fugaku himself was that option.

Fugaku, as the Chief of Police, was intimately familiar with every law in Konoha, including those for the Council. While the Council was intended to be mostly an advisory body, they did have certain specific duties and powers, most of which had been codified before the civilians had been allowed seats on the Council. Once the village grew beyond the capacity of the ninja forces to run by themselves, the ten seats for the elected civilian representatives had been added. Fortunately for Fugaku, no one had thought to amend the laws concerning the Council's powers in the wake of this addition.

The first and most commonly exercised power of the Council was their review of any laws. The Hokage had a great deal of power, as he should, but if two-thirds of the Council voted against a law, then the law would not be implemented. Similarly, the Hokage could call for a review of an existing law and if two-thirds of the Council found it to be unreasonable, it could be revoked or amended at the Hokage's discretion. Even the Hokage did not have the power to contradict existing law by himself, a measure the First Hokage had insisted on. The Council itself could neither propose nor review existing laws on its own, and until the aftermath of the tailed beast's attack the Council had never voted against the Hokage.

The second power came into play far more rarely; in the absence of the Hokage, such as when the Hokage dies or is otherwise incapacitated, the Council as a whole is tasked with appointing an interim Hokage and selecting the next Hokage. Always before the Hokage had publicly chosen a successor, so the Council had served a mostly ceremonial function. Sarutobi had yet to select another successor, and every day that passed increased the odds that he would pass away before doing so.

Should that happen, a vote would be called to determine the next Hokage. As Fugaku would be nominated and thus ineligible to vote, there would be twenty-one votes - ten civilian, nine ninja, the ANBU Commander, and the Jounin Commander. Fugaku still found it ironic that Shikaku Nara would be allowed two votes, as he was both a clan head with a seat on the Council and the Jounin Commander. With the ten civilian votes secured, Fugaku would only need two more votes to achieve the majority required, and he believed he was well on his way to securing those as well.

After the loss of the Kiyomizu and Murakami clans in the tailed beast's attack, two ninja seats on the Council were left vacant. It had taken nearly a month for the situation within Konoha to stabilize enough for the Council to turn its attention to filling those seats, and in that time another seat had been left vacant - the Senju.

_That_ had been a mess of the highest order, and Fugaku was still uncertain what exactly transpired to cause Tsunade to leave. The result was very clear, however; Tsunade Senju had left Konoha and become a missing ninja in all but name. That she was not listed in the Bingo Book with a bounty and that Konoha had dispatched no hunter-nin to capture or eliminate her he attributed to some lingering affection on Sarutobi's part. After she abandoned Konoha in the village's hour of greatest need, no one on the Council was willing to defend her. If any still held some personal attachment to her, they kept it to themselves.

When the vote to revoke the Senju seat came up, all the arguments centered on the contributions of the previous Senju, two of whom had served as Konoha's First and Second Hokages; not one person so much as spoke Tsunade's name during the meeting. Fugaku still felt a small glow of victory as he remembered casting his vote to revoke the Senju seat. Not only had the vote been popular with the civilians on the council who resented Tsunade's attempted attack on Naoki Taniguchi, but the Senju and Uchiha had been the two clans who first founded Konoha; now only the Uchiha remained.

Unfortunately, there were no other clans within Konoha that met the population and service requirements to gain a permanent seat on the council - the Kurama were the closest, but fell short of the active shinobi requirement by three members. The law was very clear about this circumstance, and Fugaku made sure he was the one who informed the Council of the required actions.

A vote would be held among the remaining Council members and an active ninja in good standing would be selected to fill the seat for a period of five years. Said ninja must be unaffiliated with any existing seat by blood, adoption, or marriage, and must remain so during his term.

If the ninja occupying the seat became ineligible for any reason and less than two years remained in the term, the Hokage would appoint a ninja to hold the seat; otherwise, a vote would be held to fill the seat for the remainder of the term. At the end of the five year term, another survey for suitable clans would be performed and either a clan appointed to a permanent seat or a vote held for another five year term.

Fugaku had taken great relish in pointing out that _all_ Council members voted on this matter, not just the ninja. The other ninja had objected loudly, but once the laws were reviewed they had to concede that Fugaku was correct; there was no provision stating that civilians could not vote in such matters. With ten civilian and twelve ninja votes at the time, there was also no possibility that the Council could achieve the two-thirds majority required to amend the law.

When the first vote occurred Fugaku did not have enough influence with the civilian side of the council to convince them to select candidates favorable to him, and he didn't push too hard lest his fellow ninja councilors become suspicious of him. But the first term was ending soon, and now? Now, he did. Five years was a long time, and Sarutobi was already old. Even if the Hokage survived the next five years, Fugaku had every intention of making sure that the next set of temporary councilors were favorable to him as well. He would continue for as long as it took.

Fugaku shook himself out of his musings as he arrived home. Right now, he had a problem to deal with. He prepared to summon two of his most loyal clansmen, two who didn't mind getting their hands dirty for the betterment of the clan and the village.


	6. Getting To Know You

-April 20th, 338 NE-

-6:15 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Why is it, Dragon," the Hokage growled softly, "that I find myself questioning the competence of my ANBU forces for the second time this week? Please, enlighten me."

The Hokage and Dragon were currently alone, even the standard squad that stood guard over the Hokage at all times dismissed for this particular meeting. Dragon was folded in half in a stiff bow, and had remained so since the Hokage first entered the room. The ANBU Commander didn't dare face the Hokage at the moment, and so continued to stare at the floor, sweat dripping onto the mask that covered the ninja's face.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Dragon said stiffly. "It was determined that the arrest of Councilors Naoki Taniguchi and Harumi Kondo should be done quietly. We also wanted them to panic and possibly expose other conspirators or vital information. I had one ANBU squad waiting at each of their residences to arrest them once they arrived home for the evening. We also took the opportunity to search through their records for any evidence of treason or other crimes. Unfortunately, the councilors never arrived home. Both Taniguchi and Kondo tripped while walking down a set of stairs and broke their necks, although they fell in different locations."

The Hokage rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep his temper in check. "It beggars belief that both of them would just happen to _accidentally die_ just before they were arrested for treason. Did you not have ANBU squads following them?"

"I did, Hokage-sama."

"And?"

"Neither squad reported anything unusual. However, our intelligence analysts have been going over the records we retrieved from their homes, and they have found an interesting pattern. Both Taniguchi and Kondo have been meeting with the Chief of Police on a regular basis, and often at the same time. I questioned the squads who were following them again, and both reported that Taniguchi and Kondo were approached briefly by a police patrol after they left the Council meeting. The patrol consisted of two ninja, both Uchiha."

"Uchiha...," the Hokage said slowly, as if tasting the word. "Has an autopsy been performed yet? Were there any traces of genjutsu?"

"The traces were faint but they were present, Hokage-sama," Dragon replied.

The Hokage was silent for several minutes as his mind churned, the pieces falling into place and painting an ugly picture. Fugaku's ambitions were well known among ninja and civilian alike, and the popularity of the Uchiha clan in general and Fugaku in particular had risen to new levels in the wake of the tailed beast's attack.

Not for the first time the Hokage cursed Madara Uchiha. Fugaku's grandfather had been an incredible ninja, nearly as powerful as the First Hokage himself, but it was his cunning and foresight that had proved the most troublesome. Madara had insisted that the Uchiha be given sole control of the internal police within Konoha as a condition for joining the village. At the time it had seemed like a meaningless concession to a man desperate for any sort of official recognition in the wake of his failure to gain the title of Hokage. The brilliance of the move had slowly revealed itself over the years and it seemed to be reaching fruition now, long after Madara himself had passed away.

By maintaining control of the police force, the Uchiha were able to keep their weaker ninja within the walls of the village where they would be safe and gainfully employed while still registered as active ninja in good standing. While the Senju would send their ninja out into the field to die, the Uchiha would remain home, safe and sound, steadily growing their clan's numbers.

The results were plain to see. The Senju, initially more powerful and numerous than the Uchiha, had been whittled down to a single female member who was nearly past child-bearing age and showed absolutely no interest in continuing her clan after the death of her lover. Meanwhile, the Uchiha had grown to become the most populous and powerful clan in the village. Only the Hyuuga could claim to rival the Uchiha's numbers of active ninja, and that only due to a quirk of fate which allowed the Hyuuga's bloodline limit to manifest in every member without fail while the Uchiha bloodline activated in only a third of the clan's members.

Fugaku had taken this advantage even further by actively currying favor with the civilian populace. The civilian's were already inclined to trust the Uchiha as a matter of course, since the Uchiha were highly visible as the core of Konoha's police force. While other ninja were fighting and dying outside Konoha's walls to protect and strengthen the village, the Uchiha would parade in front of the civilians and occasionally break up drunken brawls or arrest a thief. Despite this disparity, the average civilian, if asked to name all the ninja they knew, would likely come up with two names - Hiruzen Sarutobi and Fugaku Uchiha. Even the Legendary Sannin, Sarutobi's former students, were likely to be forgotten or overlooked, especially since none of them had been seen in the village in years, if for very different reasons.

Now, less than a century after the village's founding, the Uchiha were poised to take control of the entire village and never let go. Sarutobi was willing to admit to himself that, taken solely on his own merits, Fugaku could probably handle the mantle of Hokage well enough, even if he lacked a true Will of Fire. After Minato's death, Sarutobi despaired of ever finding another ninja who could be a true successor. In his weaker moments, he even contemplated just turning the whole wretched mess over to Fugaku now and stepping back to watch the man deal with the headaches that came with the title he was so desperate to achieve. However, his own Will of Fire had not weakened so much that he was willing to just abandon his post to a lesser man. He had many years left in him, plenty of time to find a more suitable candidate, or groom one from among the veteran ninja.

And that was the crux of the matter, really. Fugaku, for all his skill and political acumen, was not now and would never be an acceptable candidate in Sarutobi's eyes because once Fugaku became Hokage he would never let the title pass outside of the Uchiha clan. He would make sure his older son Itachi was groomed for the position, and he would fully expect Itachi to do the same for his children. Sarutobi would readily admit that Itachi had already proven himself a genius, graduating the Academy at the age of eight after only one year, four years before most students could even hope to. Only two ninja had accomplished this feat prior to Itachi: Kakashi Hatake and Minato Namikaze, both of whom had gone on to become S-Rank ninja before they reached the age of twenty.

There was another more serious problem, one that Fugaku, and indeed Madara, had likely overlooked or ignored – the perception the other ninja in the village had of the clan. Even if Itachi proved even more capable than Fugaku, that would not change the fact that the other ninja would not accept the beginning of an Uchiha dynasty within Konoha. Since so many of the clan took permanent posts within the walls of Konoha they had alienated their fellow ninja who had no choice but to take risky missions outside the safety of Konoha. Beyond the police force, which many ninja considered a joke, there were very few postings that did not require at least some experience in the field, and all of those were limited to the intelligence divisions.

No ninja who had ever met a Nara would dare underestimate the power of solid intelligence and good planning, and many owed their lives to insights and secrets uncovered by the intelligence division. Conversely, no ninja who had ever met a member of the "permanent police" would dare allow themselves to become that weak and arrogant, and many refused to even acknowledge them as active ninja.

The last problem with the Uchiha was their bloodline limit. Even with two-thirds of the clan never activating it, the clan as a whole was inordinately proud of the sharingan, the so-called Copy Wheel Eye. Once awakened, the sharingan increased the effectiveness of an Uchiha ninja many times over, and that was without considering its more advanced uses and abilities. Even at its most basic level, the sharingan increased the the observational abilities of a ninja tenfold, allowing the user to pick up on subtle details and clues that they would miss otherwise. As the sharingan matured, the user could track fast-moving objects with ease and even "predict" an opponents actions based on the subtle tensing and shifting of their bodies. When fully matured, the user could actually copy any techniques they observed perfectly and reproduce them on command at any point thereafter. The average ninja would be willing to give nearly anything to obtain even one of those abilities, and the Uchiha got all of those abilities and more for simply being born.

What concerned Sarutobi at the moment however was the last ability of the sharingan - its ability to detect and even cast genjutsu, or illusion techniques. A skilled user could implant subtle genjutsu merely be making eye contact, and the technique would be nearly imperceptible to both the target and anyone observing. With the revelation of Fugaku's close involvement with the two councilors and their all-too-convenient deaths, it appeared genjutsu had been used to cause the "accidental" demise of the two councilors. And, of course, it would be absolutely impossible to prove that the Uchiha had anything to do with it. Chakra signatures were fragile things to begin with, and it was nearly impossible to trace a genjutsu signature back to the caster at the best of times. Hours after the fact and with the death of the subject, it would be impossible.

Of course, just because he couldn't prove it now didn't mean he couldn't put this information to good use.

"Dragon, I want the Uchiha in general and Fugaku in particular under observation at all times. If he meets with someone, I want to know who, why, and for how long. If he sends a message, I want a copy on my desk before he's done writing. If he so much as sneezes, I want to know about it before he's done wiping his nose. Understood?" The Hokage's voice was calm and even, but the force behind his words was unmistakable.

Dragon knew better than to protest the difficulty of keeping a ninja of Fugaku's caliber under such close watch.

"Oh, and Dragon? I think all of ANBU needs a little refresher course to keep them on their toes. Work out the schedule with Gai, but I want all of you, and that includes you, to undergo an _intense_ training session. I have to allow my ANBU the chance to keep their skills sharp, now don't I?"

Dragon gulped, paling at the prospect of one of Gai's infamous training sessions. Hawk and Cat had already begun their "training" and at the end of every day they were a quivering pile of bruises and pain, nearly crying at the prospect of waking up the next day to begin again.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Dragon said.

* * *

-April 21st, 338 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Konoha's Northern Gates-

Shikaku Nara hated getting up early. He hated getting up at all in fact, finding mornings in general too troublesome to deal with, but his wife made sure that he would regret it if he was not out of bed by a time she deemed acceptable. He attributed her insistence that noon was not acceptable to the general insanity of the female condition.

She had not been amused when he shared that particular insight.

He let a small smile play across his lightly scarred face as he recalled the argument that had caused, or more specifically the mutually satisfying resolution to that argument. Most people didn't understand why someone so intelligent would say such stupid things where his wife could hear. Most people also didn't understand just how enjoyable the bit that came after the arguing was. He was pretty sure Yoshino knew that he started those arguments on purpose, but she certainly wasn't complaining either.

He shook his head and returned his attention to the procession that was slowly approaching the large, open gates that led into Konoha. As the Jounin Commander, he was deemed the most suitable representative to greet the Kumo delegation when they arrived. Having the Hokage greet them personally when the Raikage was not part of the delegation would be seen as weak on Konoha's part, but as Kumo's Jounin Commander was part of the delegation anything less than his counterpart would be an insult.

Shikaku wondered again why he had agreed to accept the role of Jounin Commander when Kensuke stepped down from the position; he knew that it was largely a thankless job that involved lots of stress and paperwork and very little benefit. Oh, right. He was the best candidate, and knew just how important a skilled Jounin Commander was to the continued safety of Konoha. And Yoshino threatened to make him sleep on the couch if he turned down the offer. Troublesome...

He straightened from his customary slouch as the delegation finally reached the gates, his eyes sharp as he studied the group. He quickly noted that every single one of the ten members of the delegation were ninja, and he suspected given their age, the way they moved, and their general demeanor that each was at least an A-rank threat. It seemed Kumo was taking this opportunity to show off a bit, subtly highlighting the fact that they had that many powerful ninja to waste on a diplomatic mission that required no particular skill.

Even as he settled on that as the most likely scenario, his mind was sorting and ranking several other scenarios which called for the skills and power of ten veteran ninja, the potential assassination of the Hokage foremost among them in risk, if not in likelihood. Kumo and Konoha had been on opposite sides in the Third Shinobi War, but their clashes were infrequent and the losses between the villages light. Light enough that peaceful relations had resumed less than a year after the end of the war, a stark contrast to the outright hatred Iwa still held for Konoha. Those peaceful relations had led to the possibility of an actual alliance between the two villages and the purpose of the delegation's visit this week.

Konoha's Jounin Commander stepped forward to meet the leader of the Kumo delegation, a tall, thickly muscled man by the name of Katsuo Maruyama. Maruyama wore Kumo's standard jounin outfit: a dark blue flak vest, a mesh undershirt with no sleeves, black pants fashioned of a warm, thick material - the exact composition of which was a closely held secret - and black combat boots. A large sword was strapped to his back, and various pouches filled with gear festooned his body. His arms were covered in scars, to the extent that he had less unmarked flesh that he did scar tissue. His face was unmarked however, and his thick jaw and brown eyes were currently set in a carefully neutral expression.

Shikaku looked much smaller and ill-equipped in comparison. He wore Konoha's version of the standard jounin outfit - the flak vest was a dark green, the mesh shirt had sleeves that stopped halfway down his biceps, the boots were replaced by sandals, and the pants were thinner and fashioned of a different material, but the outfit was otherwise identical. He only had three pouches on his person and no visible weapons, and he stood a full head shorter than his counterpart. His frame also lacked the bulging muscles of the Kumo ninja. The overall effect made Shikaku seem like a child compared to the Kumo ninja, which he figured was the entire purpose. He hated posturing, it was too troublesome to deal with. Fortunately, it was also too troublesome to act intimidated when he was already close enough to immobilize the entire delegation before they had a chance to respond.

"Greetings. I am Shikaku Nara, Jounin Commander. On behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, I welcome you to the village and bid you a peaceful and productive stay," Shikaku intoned formally.

Katsuo stared at him for a long moment, looking for something and appearing slightly disappointed when he didn't find it. "Nara, the shadow-wielding clan," he said finally. His eyes flicked downward, taking in their location. Due to the position of the sun, the entire delegation was bathed in the shadow of the tall gates. Katsuo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he gave no other reaction. The other members of the delegation shifted uncertainly as they heard Katsuo's words and also noted their location. "We have heard many tales of your exploits in Kumo."

Of that Shikaku had no doubt. Kumo technically had the largest force of active ninja in the Elemental Nations, but were only considered the third-most powerful of the Five Great Villages. Their relative weakness, so Kumo believed, was due to the very small numbers of bloodline users in their village. Kirigakure no Sato actually had the most registered bloodline limits of any village, but most of their bloodlines were of limited utility. They still managed to maintain a reputation as the second strongest village based on the prowess of the Kaguya and Yuki clans, along with their infamous Seven Swordsmen. Konoha itself was acknowledged by all as the strongest village and it was due in part to the power and versatility of their bloodline users, exemplified by the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans.

Kumo made no attempt to hide their interest in recruiting bloodline users, although so far they had failed to find any new bloodlines or lure a clan away from another village. Shikaku had no doubt that their interest in Konoha stemmed from their interest in Konoha's bloodlines and that Kumo hoped to lure a clan, or at least a clan member, away from the village in some fashion. However, their previous attempts had been relatively benign and Kumo in general had a reputation for straightforward and honest dealings, so the Intelligence Division rated the likelihood of a forceful attempt to be low. Looking at the assembled Kumo ninja before him, however, Shikaku shifted the odds of that approach a little higher, if still unlikely.

"I too have heard of you, Maruyama-san. They say you once killed three ninja with a single swing of your sword," Shikaku replied, allowing a bit of his usual lazy tone to leak into his voice.

Maruyama grinned widely, revealing shiny white teeth. "It was four," he said. He appeared to be completely serious.

Shikaku nodded slightly, accepting the correction without comment. He knew it really was four, a Konoha informant had actually witnessed the event. Now he also knew Maruyama was a braggart, and was willing to give away information in order to maintain or enhance his own reputation. Useful information to have, and he would put it to good use in the coming negotiations.

"If you will follow me, I will escort you to your hotel. We have reserved the entire third floor of the Floating Leaf for your use during your stay, and I hope you will find it to your liking. Once you have settled in, I will escort you to the Hokage's Tower for the first meeting at noon."

Maruyama nodded sharply. "Very well. Lead the way, Nara-san."

* * *

-April 23rd-

-2:15 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"Come on, Naruto. I promised Shika and Chouji I would introduce them to my new little brother. We can go visit them and be back before anyone even knows we're gone!" Ino whined, pulling softly at Naruto's arm. Naruto steadfastly refused to move.

"Yamanaka-san was very clear that I was not to leave the premises for any reason until told otherwise. I believe he was worried that I would be recognized," Naruto said evenly.

Ino sighed. She was very happy she had a little brother now but she had already noted that he had a disturbing tendency to follow the rules. She frowned slightly, recalling her conversation with her father the first evening after Naruto had come to live with their family.

_"Tou-chan?" Ino asked softly. She was technically supposed to be in bed right now, but she couldn't sleep while this question burned in her head. "Naruto-kun doesn't look like he was hurt. After I broke my arm, I had to wear that arm-thing for forever. Why doesn't he have one of those?"_

_Her father sighed, but sat up in his chair and motioned for her to come closer. When she was close enough, he picked her up and plopped her down in his lap. "Well sweetie, they are many different kinds of hurts. Sometimes the hurts are easy to fix, like your arm, even if it's not fun while that happens. Other hurts you can't see, but they can be just as bad or worse, and can take a long long time to fix. Naruto has one of those kinds of hurts. It's on the inside, and it's going to take Daddy a very long time to help him."_

_"Oh," Ino said quietly. "How is he hurt?"_

_He didn't answer for several seconds, and she was afraid she had asked a bad question somehow. Before she could say anything, however, he finally replied. "He... he believes that he has to act like an adult, all the time. He doesn't think he's allowed to have fun, or act like a child, or even just relax. Part of how I'm going to help him is to let him know it's alright just to be a kid. I'm hoping you can help me with that. He could really use a friend, and I know you would be a wonderful friend. And an even better older sister, of course," he chuckled._

_Ino didn't fully understand the explanation, but she got the important parts. Have fun, help him act like a kid, be an older sister. She could do that. She could definitely do that._

Well, here was a perfect opportunity to show her little brother how to have fun. Besides, little brothers were supposed to listen to their older sisters, so really she was fixing two problems at once.

"Tsk tsk, little brother. You should know better than to question your older sister. Kids are expected to break the rules sometimes, it's practically a rule of its own!" Deciding to ignore the irony of her previous statement, she moved on quickly. "And besides, if being recognized is the problem, you just have to wear a disguise!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "I have the perfect one in mind!"

"I'm not wearing a dress," Naruto said immediately.

Ino waved her hand airily. "It didn't even look good on you. Your hair isn't long enough yet."

"Yet?" Naruto asked, his tone faintly incredulous.

"Anyway, that's not what I had in mind. I've got a much better idea than that!"

* * *

-3:30 PM-

-Nara Compound-

Shikamaru Nara was lying on his back, staring up at the sky as the clouds passed overhead. The familiar crunch of a potato chip and the crumple of the bag which contained them let him know that his best friend, Chouji Akimichi, was sitting next to him.

"Rabbit," Shikamaru said lazily.

Another crunch. "Duck." Another crunch.

"Hmm... Table."

Another crunch. A loud rustle as the bag was balled up and tossed aside and a new one opened. "Roast chicken." Another crunch.

"Deer."

Another crunch. "Ino."

"Hmm... a tree- wait, what?" Shikamaru quickly sat up and turned to look at Chouji. Chouji simply pointed off into the distance towards the entrance to the Nara compound.

Shikamaru squinted. Sure enough, he could make out Ino and some other kid walking towards them. Ino was wearing a large sun hat that almost swallowed her entire head. She kept pushing it up out of the way as she stomped towards them, apparently having trouble seeing in front of her as it slid down her face. Behind her trailed another kid, this one wearing a bandanna and sunglasses in what Shikamaru found to be such a blatantly obvious attempt to hide his identity that it was almost subtle. Given that Ino most likely came up with it, however, he settled on just blatantly obvious.

"Troublesome...," Shikamaru muttered, and flopped back down on his back. He had already picked up his father's habit of saying that word, which had led to an argument between his mom and dad where she was actually angry instead of her usual amused angry. Ino didn't seem to appreciate his use of the word too much either, though Chouji didn't mind at all. That was why Chouji was his best friend instead of Ino. Well, one of the reasons, anyway.

As Ino continued to make her way towards them Shikamaru began to make out what she was saying.

"... honestly, like I haven't been here loads of times before. And they were laughing! At us!" Ino said.

"Technically, I think they were just laughing at you. They really didn't know who I was," the other kid replied.

"Not! Helping!" Ino yelled.

"Sorry, Nee-chan," the kid said. Shikamaru didn't think he sounded all that sorry, though. He sounded more like he wanted to laugh himself.

So this was the infamous "little brother" Ino had been raving about yesterday. Shikamaru was pretty sure they were both supposed to stay at the Yamanaka residence, although he was not at all surprised to learn that Ino had slipped out.

Ino came to a stop in front of Shikamaru and Chouji, pulling the hat off her head as she stared at them for a long moment. Shikamaru still hadn't moved from his position. He was wearing a light blue shirt and black pants, and his black hair was pulled up into a spiky ponytail that stuck up from the back of his head in an imitation of his father's hairstyle, a style most people referred to as "the pineapple".

Chouji was wearing a green and white jacket with blue pants. His hair stuck up wildly in all directions and he had red swirl marks tattooed on both cheeks. He spared a quick wave to Ino and her companion before he returned to consuming his potato chips, already halfway through the freshly opened bag.

"Honestly, could you two be any lazier? You're supposed to at least stand up when a lady is present, you know!" Ino said.

Chouji looked vaguely guilty, but Shikamaru just snorted. "When one shows up, let me know and I'll think about it."

"Wha- you-" Ino sputtered indignantly. Shikamaru just chuckled to himself, and Chouji bit off another potato chip to cover up his own laugh.

"Anyway, aren't you going to introduce us?" Shikamaru said, finally sitting up again as he looked at Ino's companion.

Ino took a moment to recover, but she quickly brightened. "Right! Shika, Chouji, this is my new little brother, Naruto! Naruto, the lazy one on the ground is Shikamaru Nara, and the one eating chips is Chouji Akimichi."

The newly introduced Naruto pulled off the sunglasses and bandanna and then smiled at the two kids. Shikamaru and Chouji were both surprised to see blond hair and blue eyes, and for a moment they wondered if Naruto really was Ino's brother; blond hair was highly unusual in Konoha, and Naruto's eyes were only a few shades off from Ino's. Shikamaru quickly dismissed that idea, but focused on the name. "Naruto... I've heard that name before. My dad was talking about you. Something about ridiculous test scores..."

Naruto smirked slightly. "I wouldn't say ridiculous...," he said.

Ino had no such problem. "Yep! Totally ridiculous! I bet he's even smarter than you, Shika!"

"Oh? You wouldn't happen to play shogi, would you?" Shikamaru asked. His dad had taught him how to play the game, and while Chouji and Ino had shown no interest Shikamaru still wanted to find someone to play against on a regular basis. His dad was perfectly willing to play, of course, but their relative skill levels were still too far apart for it to be anything other than a teaching exercise.

Naruto hummed thoughtfully. "I have heard of it, but I've never gotten the chance to play. If you want to show me the rules, I'm willing."

Shikamaru grinned, and hopped to his feet with far more alacrity than most would expect him to be capable of. "Follow me," he said, and moved off towards his house. Chouji pulled himself to his feet and quickly followed. Ino grinned and pulled Naruto along with her. "Come on, it's time someone showed Shikamaru up, and you, little brother, are the perfect one for the job!"

Two hours later Ino was still crowing in delight. "Ha! I told you, I told you, I told you!"

"To be fair, Nee-chan, I only won once...," Naruto said.

Shikamaru just shook his head, still shocked by how quickly Naruto had picked up the game. "And you just started playing. I've been playing with my dad for months now. You're really good." Shikamaru grinned, excitement shining in his eyes. "I can still beat you, though. Again?"

"Oh, I think you've played enough for today, don't you?" a new voice said. Ino paled dramatically and Chouji almost choked on his chip. Shikamaru just shook his head with a muttered "Troublesome..."

Kiku Yamanaka stood tapping her foot impatiently in the door frame. "And just what, little lady, did you think you were doing sneaking out of the house in the middle of the day, hmm? And taking Naruto-kun along with you, no less."

Naruto stepped bravely into the line of fire. "I thought it was a rule that children were expected to break the rules on occasion, Kiku-kaa-san?" Naruto asked.

Ino squeaked when Kiku turned to glare in her direction.

"Not! Helping!"


	7. Getting To Know You, Part II

-April 24th, 338 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Inoichi's office was situated on the ground floor of his home, tucked into a quiet corner. The furniture inside the office emphasized comfort over aesthetic appeal, and the decorations consisted of simple paintings of forest scenes from around Konoha with the occasional knickknack that held some personal significance to Inoichi. His desk was well-worn but also well-cared for, the inevitable nicks and scrapes picked up over the years serving to make it seem homely rather than broken down.

There were three chairs in the room: one placed behind the desk and two placed in front of the desk, currently positioned to face each other. Naruto was already perched on one of those chairs, his feet not quite reaching the floor, when Inoichi closed the door, activated the privacy seals built into the room, and then settled into the chair across from Naruto. He had a few pieces of paper and a pencil prepared to take notes during the session.

"Now Naruto, before we begin I want you to understand that, while these sessions are required, if at any time you feel uncomfortable or don't want to answer a question, we can cut the session short or move to a different topic. These sessions will continue for as long as needed, and I don't want you to feel pressured into anything. Ok?"

Naruto nodded. He had yet to say anything since he first entered the room.

Inoichi let out a slow breath. He sincerely wanted to help Naruto, but he wasn't looking forward to seeing just how deeply Konoha's resident jinchuuriki had been scarred by his time in ANBU HQ. The pieces he was already aware of - the emotional detachment, the complete lack of concern for his own safety, the obsession with proving himself - were bad enough.

"Right then... let's start with something recent, shall we?" Naruto cocked his head a little to the side and looked at him curiously but remained silent. "I understand you and Ino snuck out to the Nara compound yesterday." Inoichi stopped there, curious to see how Naruto would respond to the open-ended statement. He didn't have to wait long.

"I apologize for disobeying your instructions, Yamanaka-san. However, with the... disguise I believed the risk of exposure to be minimal."

Inoichi kept his face calm and pleasantly curious, suppressing his wince. Though expected, it was painful to know that Naruto still viewed the situation as a mission. His continued insistence on calling him Yamanaka-san despite his easy manner with Ino and Kiku showed that Naruto viewed Inoichi as a superior officer rather than a parental figure. These sessions probably weren't going to help that particular issue, either.

"As far as the disguise goes, you are correct. No one recognized you as Naruto, or even paid you and Ino any particular attention. You appeared as simply two children pretending to be ninja." Inoichi reassured him. "However, what made you decide to risk it at all?"

Naruto shifted slightly, a small sign of nervousness or discomfort. Interesting. Inoichi made a note of this reaction; Naruto hadn't appeared nervous at all when apologizing, but the reasons behind his actions made him uncomfortable. Inoichi didn't pressure him, simply waiting for Naruto to answer or ask to move to another topic. At length, Naruto finally replied.

"I was... curious. Ino had mentioned her friends before, and I wanted to meet them," Naruto said.

Inoichi made several more notes. Ino had claimed that she pressured Naruto into it, almost desperate to make sure that no blame fell on her little brother, and now Naruto was subtly implying that he had come up with the idea on his own, transferring the blame to himself. To Inoichi's knowledge, this was the first time Naruto had acted protective of another person. Further, this was also the first time in nearly two years that Naruto had made any effort to reach out and form a connection with another child his own age. While Ino and Naruto were getting along far better than he had dared hope, they now lived together and Naruto did not need to make a special effort to establish or maintain a relationship. The same could not be said for Shikamaru and Chouji.

"And what did you think of them?" Inoichi prompted after he finished writing his notes.

"Chouji was very quiet, but he seemed happy to be there and did not resent my presence. Shikamaru was very skilled in shogi. I look forward to playing against him again." Naruto said. He seemed to be finished speaking, but then hastened to add, "The mental exercise could prove beneficial in the future."

Inoichi's eyebrow raised slightly; Naruto apparently felt the need to justify his interest in shogi. Ino had already told them about the games Naruto and Shikamaru had played, as well as making sure to mention at least fifty times that Naruto had beaten Shikamaru. Inoichi decided to follow up on the shogi games for the moment.

"Is that the only reason that you look forward to playing again?"

Naruto shifted slightly again. "No. It was fun. Challenging."

Inoichi smiled. "That's good to hear. Do you enjoy any other games?"

Naruto's head cocked to the side again. "I don't know."

And there went his smile. "What other games have you played?" A blank look. "Checkers?" Naruto shook his head. "Tag?" Another shake. "Hide and seek?" Another shake. "Card games? Go Fish, Old Maid? Poker?" More shakes.

Inoichi felt a ball of unease settle in his stomach. He knew from the reports that Naruto had not gotten along well with the other kids in the orphanage and that he eventually buried himself in his studies, but he had not realized that Naruto's isolation had been this complete. He fell silent as he contemplated just what effects that could have on a child, and what that would mean for Naruto.

After a minute of silence, Naruto spoke. "Yamanaka-san, I have a question about the interactions I observed between Shikamaru and Ino."

Inoichi pulled himself out of his thoughts, cursing himself for getting distracted while he was with a patient. "Er, yes. What is the question?" He tried to recall if Ino had mentioned anything unusual about her time in the compound, but couldn't come up with anything.

"I noticed that they exchanged what should have been insults on multiple occasions, and that Ino delighted in Shikamaru's defeat when I won. I have observed similar interactions among other children before, but I always assumed that they were enemies or otherwise competing. Ino and Shikamaru seemed very friendly despite these insults. I don't understand," Naruto explained.

Well, here would be one consequence already. Inoichi jotted down a few more notes before he leaned back in his chair. This explanation could take a while.

Kuushou smirked internally as the Yamanaka launched into his explanation of "teasing". The question was half serious and half distraction; he understood much better than he let on what was happening, but this discussion would later branch into other areas of human behavior which he did not understand nearly so well. If he was stuck talking to this human for the foreseeable future, he might as well get something useful out of it. More importantly, focusing on how humans usually behaved would steer the conversation away from his own motivations and allow him to better explain his more questionable actions in the future.

Considering the psychological training he would pull out of Inoichi during these sessions and the connections he was already forming among the most prominent clans in Konoha, joining the Yamanaka family was proving to be the best thing to happen to him since he was sealed. Now he just needed to prepare for his med-nin training with Shizune.

For now, there was much to learn from Konoha. Once his strength had grown to acceptable levels and he had acquired all the knowledge and skills he cared to... well, that would be an interesting day.

* * *

-April 24th-

-1:30 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino was sitting in the living room helping her mother sort through the laundry. Despite the peaceful surroundings and pleasant day, she was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. Her parents had not been happy at all that she had taken Naruto outside, despite the perfectly good disguises they had used. They had made it clear that Naruto could have been in a lot of danger, though they avoided specifying why exactly. It had taken them a while, but they had finally impressed on Ino that she could have gotten Naruto hurt again and Ino had taken the revelation to heart.

That didn't stop her from thinking about how to help Naruto, however. Naruto had only been with them for five days but as far as Ino was concerned he was a permanent part of the family. She had also had a lot more fun than usual hanging out with Shikamaru and Chouji when Naruto was with her. Despite their friendship Shikamaru and Chouji were a lot closer to each other than either was to her, even beyond the obvious boy-girl differences. Naruto's presence evened the playing field. Even when he was playing shogi with Shikamaru he still paid attention to her. It was nice to be included like that.

She had also noticed that Naruto had enjoyed meeting Shikamaru and Chouji. He certainly didn't act sad or anything when it was just the two of them, but when the four of them were playing around Naruto was more... something. She couldn't quite describe it, but she thought the difference was what her parents meant when they said "better". Even when they got back home and both of them were in trouble, Naruto hadn't said one bad thing to her, and she had been afraid he would angry or upset with her. In fact, he had even thanked her!

Ino was certain that if she introduced Naruto to the other kids she knew, he would have more friends and get even better. But since he couldn't leave, that really left only one option.

"Kaa-chan?" Ino asked timidly.

Kiku set aside the shirt she was folding and turned to face her daughter. "Yes, Ino-chan?"

"Do you think I could invite all my friends over for a sleepover?"

Kiku frowned. "Now Ino-chan, you know that you are being punished for sneaking out of the house yesterday. This is hardly the best time for you to have a party."

"But Kaa-chan, it's not for me, it's for Naruto." When her mother didn't immediately reply, she rushed to explain her reasoning. "You and Tou-chan both said that Naruto didn't have any friends before and he had a lot of fun yesterday and Shika and Chouji both liked him and I know my other friends will too and he'll like them and then he'll have more friends and-"

"Ino-chan, calm down," Kiku interrupted her.

"But Kaa-chan!" Ino pouted.

"I understand Ino-chan, and I'm very proud that you are thinking of ways to help Naruto. I'm also happy that you decided to talk with me before doing anything this time." Ino blushed, but didn't say anything. "I'm not saying yes, but I will talk it over with your father and see what he thinks."

Ino's smile lit the room, and she jumped over to hug her mother. "Thanks Kaa-chan!"

* * *

-April 26th-

-11:45 AM-

-Hokage's Tower, Council Chambers-

As the current session of the negotiations between Konoha and Kumo broke for lunch and the various councilors began to stream out of the room, Inoichi called out to Hiashi Hyuuga.

Hiashi paused and turned, his pale eyes watching Inoichi approach curiously. Hiashi was a tall man, his form thin and well-muscled. His immaculately groomed black hair hung halfway down his back, gathered into a loose ponytail. He was currently wearing the traditional attire of the Hyuuga clan, which consisted of thin layered robes of various shades of ivory and white. His headband hung around his neck, barely visible beneath his robes, leaving his unmarked forehead bare.

"Yes, Yamanaka-san? Can I help you?" Hiashi asked coolly, his posture stiff and his tone polite, as it always was in public. Some people found this typical Hyuuga attitude elitist or insulting, but Inoichi knew that the demeanor was at least partially a front. When Hiashi was among friends he acted considerably more open and relaxed.

"My daughter is throwing a sleepover party with her friends, and she wanted to invite Hinata-chan and Neji-kun. The event is planned for two days from now, starting that afternoon," Inoichi explained.

Hiashi nodded thoughtfully. "I assume the Nara and Akimichi children will be there as well?"

Inoichi nodded, pleased that Hiashi was at least considering it. In his opinion the Hyuuga children didn't spend enough time with children outside the clan, and this event would be good for them. "Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame have also agreed to attend. I am also planning to invite Sasuke Uchiha, but I wanted to ask you first."

Hiashi smirked slightly. If Sasuke was next, then that also meant the Uchiha were being asked last. Inoichi knew him quite well, apparently. Hiashi didn't mind being asked second to last, since their families were not nearly as close as the others, but to be asked after the Uchiha would have been insulting. That aside, this party represented a gathering of every clan with a seat on the Konoha Council. Hinata and Neji would likely be working with these children for the rest of their lives, and it would be a good opportunity to form bonds with their future comrades.

Hiashi did not immediately agree, however. That simply wasn't the Hyuuga way. "I assume this event is prompted by your new... guest?"

"It was Ino's idea, actually, but yes, you are correct."

"Hmm... I will need to think it over further, but for Hinata at least consider the invitation tentatively accepted. I will of course forward Neji's invitation to Hizashi."

Inoichi knew that "think it over further" was code that meant Hiashi would talk the idea over with his wife Hisana, but didn't comment. He knew how that was, after all.

"That's great, and thank you! I look forward to seeing them," Inoichi replied.

If Inoichi and Hiashi had been paying more attention, they would not have casually dismissed the Kumo ninja lingering outside the doors to the Council Room, talking with a civilian councilor. They would have also noticed how his ears perked up at the mention of the name Hinata, and the calculating gleam that entered his eye as the conversation continued.

* * *

-April 28th-

-2:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Kiku opened the door to find two members of the Aburame clan standing before her. Both were wearing the high-collared gray jackets and sunglasses typical of the clan, although the effect was less mysterious and intimidating on the four year old. There it just looked adorable.

"Hello Shibi-san, Shino-kun, I'm glad you could make it. Shikamaru and Chouji have already arrived, and they are playing out back if you want to join them Shino-kun," Kiku said cheerfully. Shino nodded, falling short of the intended imitation of his father's manner and landing solidly in "cute" territory as far as Kiku was concerned. She smiled and watched him make his way through the house towards the back, then turned to Shibi.

"I really am glad you could make it. Do you want to come in?"

Shibi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Kiku led him to the living room where Shikaku, Chouza, and Inoichi were chatting away, reliving some tale from their days as genin teammates. They all stood and welcomed Shibi cheerfully, bringing him up to speed on the current tale.

"So Ichi here got the bright idea that he would scale up the side of the building and try to use his mind transfer technique through the window. Mind you, the target was a civilian, but they were also hosting a party and the place was pretty crowded. He had just learned the technique and had been itching for an excuse to use it for weeks, and by Kami he had decided that now was his chance," Chouza said, barely keeping control of his laughter.

Shikaku had no such problem and was already chuckling to himself. Inoichi had his head in his hands and was groaning, already dreading the rest of the story. Kiku rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, but her other hand was covering her mouth and her shoulders shook suspiciously every now and then. Shibi himself had never heard this particular story, and was most curious as to where it was going.

"So Shika and I are keeping a look out for him while he takes aim. He takes a good two minutes lining up his shot, and when he _finally_ uses it, he immediately falls off the building. This much we expected, and we catch him and hightail it out of there, moving back to our own hotel room to wait for him to finish the job. About halfway there we realize something went wrong when he starts sucking his thumb."

Shibi raises an eyebrow and his insects start a low rhythmic humming that the others recognize as the Aburame version of a laugh. Inoichi just groans, knowing the story only gets worse from there.

"So, so we make it back to the hotel room, but Inoichi hasn't returned to his body yet. We figure that maybe he found a way to finish the mission anyway, and are ready to applaud his resourcefulness in the face of-" Chouza breaks off for a moment to get his laughter under control. "-in the face of adversity," he barely manages to choke out. "But when he finally gets back an hour later, he's got a stupid grin on his face and no information on the target at all. Naturally we don't let it rest at that."

Shikaku takes over the story at this point, a sly grin on his face. Inoichi's head snaps up in panic as he realizes his wife hasn't heard the _whole_ story prior to this, and that Shikaku doesn't intend to give the edited version this time. "It turns out that he'd managed to miss his target and hit a baby instead. As if that weren't bad enough, it seems it was time for the baby to be fed, and he spent the entire hour breastfeeding!"

Inoichi winced as Kiku's comforting hand on his shoulder suddenly turned into a death grip. "Honey...?" she growled.

Inoichi sent a death glare at Shikaku and Chouza who seemed to be enjoying his discomfort immensely, then turned to face his wife with a pleading expression. "In my defense, I was thirteen at the time. And I fully intended to turn the situation to my advantage-"

"He certainly did!" Chouza choked out, before collapsing into laughter once again.

"-to _gather information_ ," Inoichi said firmly, "but the woman just put me in a crib and left. At that point I returned to my own body."

Kiku did not seem at all swayed by this explanation, and if anything her hand tightened even further. Before she could say anything however another knock sounded at the door. "We _will_ be talking about this later," she said as she left the room.

This time when she opened the door she found two children waiting for her. The taller of the pair was a little shy of five feet tall and could possibly pass for a twelve or thirteen year old, though she knew he was only nine. His black hair was long and bundled into a thin ponytail that hung past his shoulders. He wore a black shirt and black pants along with ninja sandals, and covered it all with a black cloak. A ninja headband was worn around his head, the metal plate brightly polished and shining in the afternoon sun. He wore no visible weapons, but Kiku knew better than to believe any ninja, even one as young as this, was ever completely unarmed. The boy's onyx eyes stared into hers steadily, and Kiku found herself grateful for the excuse to look away as she turned to the other child.

This boy was considerably shorter and wore a blue shirt and black shorts. His hair was cut short and slightly spiky, though it seemed he was trying to grow it longer in the back. His eyes, as black as his brother's and the rest of his clans', were alight with curiosity as he turned his head this way and that, taking in the new surroundings with a childish delight. Where his brother was cold and aloof, this child was open and bright - a very interesting contrast, Kiku thought.

"Hello Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun," Kiku said. Most people would feel strange addressing a nine year old so formally, but with Itachi it felt stranger to address him any other way.

"Greetings, Yamanaka-san. I have come to drop Sasuke off for the sleepover. I myself will not be staying long, but I would like the chance to visit, if that is acceptable," Itachi said.

"Of course, come right in. Some of the other children have already arrived and are playing in the back."

Itachi nodded and stepped into the house, Sasuke's hand gripping Itachi's cloak tightly as he followed.

Itachi paused outside of the living room, observing the clan heads gathered in the room. Their laughter slowly died off as they noticed Itachi watching them. The silence stretched for a few seconds before Inoichi called out a greeting, quickly echoed by Shikaku and Chouza. Shibi nodded politely. Itachi returned the nod and bowed slightly before he turned and continued towards the back of the house.

"That kid always creeps me out," Chouza said quietly.

* * *

Itachi opened the door that lead to the backyard to find the kids apparently caught up in a game of ninja tag. Ino Yamanaka and Chouji Akimichi were red-faced and laughing as they dodged Shikamaru Nara's attempts to catch them. Shino Aburame was currently circling around them as he kept an eye on Shikamaru. Itachi noticed a fifth child with blond hair and blue eyes that he had never met before, but recognized as Naruto, the Yamanaka's newest "guest". Naruto did not appear to have exerted himself at all, even though he was currently running back and forth throughout the area, moving teasingly close to Shikamaru before dancing out of the way, a small smirk planted firmly on his face.

As Itachi watched, all the children began moving in slow motion, blue flickers of chakra dancing under their skin and ghostly images preceding their every move. Itachi was shocked to find that he had activated his sharingan without even realizing it, but before he could turn it off his attention was drawn to Naruto.

There were no ghostly images preceding Naruto's movement, and there were no blue flickers of chakra. Instead his eyes showed Naruto surrounded by a red aura, appearing almost as if he were consumed in flames. The aura was far brighter than any child should be capable of, and certainly not a child who did not even appear to be seriously exerting himself. The aura pulsed in a regular rhythm, and as he looked closely, the three tomoe that marked the activation of a fully matured sharingan spinning madly, he could just begin to make out brief flashes of blue chakra. Every bit of the blue chakra was almost completely surrounded by the red aura, and they almost seemed to be intertwined, woven together.

He had never seen anything like it in his life.

When he was first informed of Naruto's status, an event that occurred the very day he activated his sharingan, he had tried to determine what effect that would have on a child. From the descriptions of the seal he had imagined an enormous reservoir of power, lying dormant and untapped within the child's body. This... was not dormant.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Sasuke tugged on his cloak, and he shut off his sharingan before any of the children noticed. Although, judging by the look in Naruto's eyes and the curious tilt of his head, he may have been a little too late.

The other children saw that Naruto had stopped running, and turned to follow his gaze. When they saw the two new children standing there, they called a temporary halt to their game and hurried over to greet the newcomers. The Uchiha did not have close bonds with any of the other families invited today, but the children had met Sasuke before; Itachi they had only heard about.

"Hey Sasuke!" Ino called out, waving. "Is this your brother?"

Sasuke nodded a little shyly, still slightly uncomfortable among the children he did not know that well. "Yeah, this is Itachi-nii-san."

"Cool! I'm Ino Yamanaka, it's nice to- holy crap, is that a ninja headband?"

Itachi's expression did not change as he replied. "Yes. I have already graduated the Academy."

"That is so cool!" Ino yelled. Shikamaru and Chouji also appeared to be impressed, if the faintly dumbstruck looks on their faces were any indication.

"Is that unusual?" Naruto asked, his head still tilted and his eyes focused on Itachi.

Ino jumped in before Itachi could respond. "Very! That means he graduated after just one year and he's already a genin! He's gotta be, like, super strong to do that! Hey, I bet you could do that too, little brother!" She seemed excited for a minute, then suddenly looked worried. "But don't do that!" She contradicted herself. "If you graduate early we can't be on the same team!"

Naruto didn't respond right away, his eyes still fixed on Itachi. "Hmm... I'm not so sure, Nee-chan. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that."

Ino seemed to take this as a personal insult. "You are too! You could totally graduate in a year! I bet you could do it in like, six months!" She shook herself again. "But don't!"

Itachi's eyes never wavered as he met Naruto's calculating gaze with his own. He had heard rumors of the intelligence of Naruto, although the boy was still far too young to evaluate the level of his physical skill and chakra control. Still, Naruto's gaze held nothing childish. There was curiosity, but no wonder. It was steady, calm, evaluating. It was a ninja's gaze... no, it was the gaze of a predator.

His eyes itched to activate again, to use the power of his bloodline to dissect and examine the oddity that was Naruto, but now was not the time. He spoke again, his gaze still locked with Naruto's in their impromptu contest.

"Sasuke, I will be heading out now; I must return to my duties. I will come by tomorrow to pick you up to return home. Enjoy yourself," Itachi said.

"But Nii-san..." Sasuke said, his voice not quite a whine.

Itachi finally turned his gaze away, ignoring the feeling that he had somehow lost a contest as he turned to Sasuke. His right hand emerged from his cloak with his index finger extended. The hand slowly moved towards Sasuke before finally poking him in the middle of the forehead. "Foolish little brother," he said fondly.

"Nii-san! Don't do that!" Sasuke said, rubbing his forehead. His voice was definitely whining now, and the other children stifled a laugh. Naruto watched their interaction curiously.

Itachi shook his head and turned. He moved away in a quick shunshin, the world whipping past as he left the Yamanaka's backyard. He would need to think on what he had seen today. His instincts screamed that Naruto was dangerous. Even as young as he was he found it ridiculous to think that a four year old could be a threat, but he had learned long ago to trust his instincts. Those same instincts had led to him mastering his sharingan years before most Uchiha even activated theirs for the first time, after all. If his instincts said Naruto was dangerous, then Naruto was dangerous.

Now he just needed to figure out why.


	8. The First Clue

-April 29th-

-1:45 AM-

-Outside the Yamanaka Residence-

Kaito Miyazaki had been a jounin of Kumo for fifteen years, and he had very little to show for it. Oh, he wasn't hurting for money; he lived in a comfortable apartment and had enough money saved for a rainy day, but those sorts of things didn't mean anything to Kaito. He craved recognition, the kind of recognition Maruyama got, even in a village as far away as Konoha.

Kaito wasn't a particularly good ninja, but he wasn't a particularly bad ninja either. No bad ninja would ever survive long enough to make full jounin, and Kaito was actually above average as jounin went. And in one particular area he was far, far above average – it just wasn't an area that got a lot of attention or glory. It got plenty of respect among those in the know, but the very nature of his exploits prevented him from attaining the glory he so desperately sought.

Kaito was an infiltration specialist, the best in all of Kumo in fact. But you don't go bragging to other villages or even your fellow ninja about how you stole secrets and successfully infiltrated enemy villages. So Kaito suffered for years under the irony of achieving incredible feats that benefited his village and not being able to tell anyone about it.

Well, that all ended tonight.

His original mission, the mission of the entire delegation in fact, had been to gather as much intelligence as possible on Konoha while the negotiations took place. As far as ninja affairs went this was practically expected, and Konoha had actually done a very good job of subtly guiding their search for information in directions that _seemed_ promising but were ultimately useless or meaningless. If Kaito hadn't been lucky enough to overhear the conversation between the Yamanaka and Hyuuga clan heads the delegation would likely have gained little information of value. In fact, under normal circumstances even that information would have been considered irrelevant or useless. But where his fellow ninja would have seen a useless bit of trivia, Kaito had seen a golden opportunity.

He had kept that bit of information to himself, and directed his intelligence efforts into discovering everything he possibly could about that sleepover. What he found was practically the perfect opportunity to cement his name into Kumo legend forever. The Hyuuga _and_ the Uchiha children would both be attending this party, outside of their heavily protected and fortified clan compounds. Even better, the event was taking place on the night before the delegation was scheduled to leave. If the plan worked out as it should, Konoha would be forced to release the entire delegation due to lack of evidence and within the day he would be well on his way to Kumo with two of the most powerful bloodlines in all the Elemental Nations as his prize. He was practically drooling as he imagined the rapturous welcome he would receive when he reached his village.

He watched as the last of the guards moved out of range and quickly dispelled the security seals guarding the window on the ground floor. As he had expected each family had provided a ninja or two to watch over the house for the duration of the night, but the guards were relaxed and inattentive, secure in the knowledge that they were guarding an already highly secure ninja compound in the middle of a highly secure ninja village.

Kaito would admit that the compound _was_ well-secured – and there were signs that the security was currently being upgraded even further – but he had dealt with far worse in his day. Static defenses were almost always less troublesome than human guards in his experience, and these guards were relatively pathetic. He grinned to himself as he slipped inside, carefully watching for additional security as he made his way towards the upstairs bedrooms where the children were sleeping.

Kaito could perhaps be forgiven for overlooking the obvious flaws in his plan. The infiltration itself he had planned well, and his extraction plan was acceptable, if a little optimistic. However, if he had taken a more objective look at the situation rather than allowing his greed and ambition to cloud his judgment, he would have realized the political ramifications that would likely lead to the Fourth Shinobi War if he successfully kidnapped two prominent members of Konoha's most powerful clans.

Of course, on this particular night, that was the least of his worries.

* * *

-Yamanaka Residence, Upstairs Bedroom-

Kuushou's eyes snapped open as a tantalizingly familiar scent wafted into his nostrils. It was incredibly faint and it took him nearly a minute to finally place the smell, but when he did he almost unleashed a victorious howl. For the first time since his return to the human realm he had caught the scent of his brethren, two of them in fact: Seika the Two-Tails and Atsuzan the Eight-Tails. Given the age of the scent he knew that whoever or whatever currently carried it had not met them recently, but this was the first real lead he had gotten and he was not about to let it go.

Swiftly but quietly getting to his feet, he stepped over the sleeping bags containing the other children as he moved towards the door. Pulling it open and taking a deep whiff to track down the new scent, he slipped out into the hallway.

Behind him Ino rubbed her eyes tiredly as she noticed him leaving the room. She almost went back to sleep, but was curious as to what her little brother was up to and so got up to follow him.

Kuushou followed the scent downstairs into the kitchen, where he observed an unfamiliar ninja with his entire form concealed in black, form-fitting clothing. The ninja was incredibly quiet, his clothing barely making a rustle as he moved slowly through the room towards the stairs, but it was the scent that Kuushou was following.

Kuushou spoke quietly so as not to alert the rest of the house – that could wait until he had gotten the answers he wanted.

"If you answer my questions, I might be inclined to allow you to leave quietly," he said, hiding in the shadows and using his youki to make his voice seem much deeper than it normally was – it wouldn't do for the ninja to realize he was being questioned by a child.

The invader froze, spreading his arms slightly to show that he was unarmed. "Ask," he bit off angrily but still making sure to keep his voice low.

"Where are you from?"

"Konoha, of course. Where else would I be from?"

Kuushou inhaled deeply. "Mmm... I think not. You are definitely not from around here. I'd say you are part of the Kumo delegation." The way the invader stiffened slightly and refused to answer was all the confirmation he needed.

Kuushou nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, Kumo it is. Alright, next question: when and where did you last come in contact with a jinchuuriki?"

_"What?"_ the invader asked incredulously... and a little too loudly. There was a muffled thump from the hallway, and both Kuushou and the invader froze. They both turned slowly to look at the door then watched in disbelief as Ino walked into the kitchen rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Naruto... what are you looking for with the lights off?" she said, and flipped the switch.

For a long moment both Kuushou and the invader stared at Ino. She blinked her eyes again then looked at the strange man that was standing in her parents' kitchen. Her eyes grew wide as the threat began to register, and her mouth opened.

Then all hell broke loose.

The foreign ninja moved in a blur as he rushed forward, his hands dipping into pouches tied to his legs. Kuushou cursed loudly and sprang into action, channeling youki into his muscles to increase his strength and response time. As he leapt into the air, he found it curious that he had chosen to aim at Ino instead of attacking the invader directly. Then his body slammed into hers and she was thrown back into the hallway.

Two kunai ripped into his body and blood flew through the air. Ino's strangled scream coincided with the shattering of the living room window, the front door nearly being thrown off its hinges as it slammed open, and a door upstairs being thrown open with a loud bang. Loud screeching sounds filled the house and chakra visibly rippled over the walls as multiple security seals were tripped and alarms sounded. The noise was almost deafening, but it certainly seemed to have done its job.

Kuushou watched in fascination as several indistinct blurs moved in the kitchen and hallway. One blur intercepted Ino and vanished from sight, presumably removing her from the battlefield. He saw another headed for him, but it was cut off by two blurs that locked together and resolved into the intruder and a Hyuuga.

The intruder snarled and reached into his pouch for another kunai, but suddenly froze with his hand halfway there. The Hyuuga's eyes were bulging, veins visibly throbbing around his completely white eyes showing that he had already activated his bloodline, the famous All-Seeing Eye, the byakugan. His hands glowed faintly blue as they blurred through the air, striking the intruder with a series of featherlight touches. The intruder's eyes widened in horror and disbelief and he remained locked in position for a long moment. Then the shadows around his feet suddenly thinned and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, unconscious before he even hit the floor.

"Impressive," Kuushou said, or rather tried to. The word escaped his throat in an indistinct, breathy gurgle, surprising him. He looked down and finally noticed the two kunai sticking out of his body, one lodged deep in his chest and the other sticking completely through his stomach. He allowed his attention to drift internally for a moment, and realized that the first kunai had pierced his right lung while the second had sliced through his stomach and only narrowly missed his spine. He detached his senses as the pain began to register and focused on repairing or at least stabilizing the body as best he could until a med-nin arrived and he had a template to work from.

The body's eyes drifted shut as it began to shut down, but its ears remained open and Kuushou listened to the events occurring around him.

* * *

"Get a fucking med-nin in here right now, goddammit!" Inoichi screamed, ripping off his night shirt and pressing it to Naruto's body in a vain attempt to staunch the flow of blood. Barely a week in his home and already the boy was dying again. He spared a moment to be thankful that Ino wasn't present to see her little brother like this before he was shoved aside by an ANBU. He almost lashed out before he noticed the green glow around the ANBU's hands that signified the use of a medical jutsu.

He let out a shaky breath as he stumbled to his feet, nearly slipping in the blood pooling around Naruto. Kami, how did such a small body hold so much blood? ' _Because that's all the blood he has.'_ a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. He refused to even acknowledge the thought, and turned his attention to the piece of shit that had broken into his house and murdered- no, _tried_ to murder his son.

The blood began pounding in his ears as he stepped towards the man lying prone on the floor. That he was already unconscious was all that kept Inoichi from beating him to a pulp, though it didn't stop him from planting a vicious kick in the man's ribs. The ANBU stripping the man of any weapons and tools tensed slightly, but continued working without comment when Inoichi made no further move to attack. That didn't stop Inoichi from nearly decking the Hyuuga guard when the man touched his shoulder to gain his attention.

Inoichi's face twisted darkly. "How the fuck did that piece of shit get in my house?"

The Hyuuga guard was tense, but did not cower or back away in the face of Inoichi's anger. "It appears that the intruder slipped between our patrols and deactivated the security seals on the living room window in order to gain entry."

Inoichi almost asked how the guard could know that, before realizing that his byakugan was still activated. The All-Seeing Eye allowed the user the ability to see in all directions at once, greatly increased the range of the user's vision, and allowed the user's sight to penetrate solid objects. Despite appearing to look directly at Inoichi, the Hyuuga could actually observe the entire house without moving his head or even shifting his eyes. The byakugan also allowed the user to see even the faintest traces of chakra – most ninja could only see chakra when it was released outside the body in large quantities, but a Hyuuga could even see chakra inside another ninja's body or even inside objects, an ability that they had used as the basis for an absolutely devastating taijutsu style.

The Hyuuga continued his report, "Judging by the residual chakra still draining from the seals, the intruder has been in the house less than three minutes. Given that he was in the kitchen at the time of his discovery, it would appear he was moving very slowly to avoid activating any of the internal security measures. As it was, he still needed to disarm the security seals at the bottom of the stairs, the top of the stairs, and any of the individual rooms."

Inoichi nodded shakily. Despite the situation, the breach wasn't nearly as bad as it appeared. If Ino and Naruto had been upstairs, the intruder would almost certainly have been caught by the guards patrolling the grounds or set off one of the seals and alerted the entire household. Inoichi turned to find Ino and figure out why she and Naruto were out of bed when the Hyuuga guard's eyes widened - an incredibly disturbing sight with the byakugan activated - and his head turned to look up the stairs.

Inoichi followed the Hyuuga's gaze and his own eyes widened. Standing at the top of the stairs, faces white, eyes wide, and mouths gaping, were the other children. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, and quickly ran up the stairs to block their sight of Naruto.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, he mustered the most authoritative voice he could without sounding harsh or angry. "Alright, all of you go back to your rooms. The situation is under control and Naruto is receiving medical attention." He couldn't bring himself to say that Naruto would be fine. He knew mentally that Naruto had already survived being stabbed in the heart, but that knowledge seemed weak in the face of the scene he had witnessed downstairs.

He noticed that the children were no longer looking downstairs, but now they seemed to be staring at him, faces still white and eyes round. Even as he looked down at himself and realized that the front of his pants from the knees down were soaked in blood and that his hands had smeared blood over part of his torso – and probably his face, he realized grimly – Kiku finally stumbled out of their bedroom, a robe hastily thrown on over her night gown. As a civilian, even one married into a ninja family, she reacted far more slowly than Inoichi. He still wished she had managed to reach the hallway before the children, though he wasn't sure she could have handled the sight of Naruto any better than the children had.

"Honey, what is going- oh Kami. Inoichi, are you alright? What's happened? Where's Ino? Where's Naruto?" she asked, beginning to panic.

Inoichi started to raise his hand to stop her, but realized that the sight of the blood probably wouldn't help the situation much. He settled for trying to talk over her. "Kiku, Kiku! Ino's fine, the situation is under control. Please, help me get the kids back into their room."

She nodded shakily and started gathering up the kids, ushering them back down the hallway. Inoichi was just grateful that she hadn't noticed the omission of Naruto's state just yet, though he didn't expect that to last long. The children were coming out of their shock and he could hear the sniffles starting as they began to cry. She'd learn soon enough that Naruto was most certainly not fine at the moment.

After a quick stop in the bathroom to wash the blood off his face and hands, and another stop in his bedroom to get a fresh set of clothing, Inoichi made his way back downstairs. Naruto was no longer present, and the Hyuuga guard - Hiroshi, Inoichi finally remembered - confirmed that the ANBU had stabilized him enough to move him to the ANBU hospital. Again. Inoichi nodded, then set off to find his daughter.

He found her in the living room, completely hysterical, while the Nara guard, Kouta, tried to awkwardly comfort her. Inoichi waved him off and sat down next to her, wrapping her in his arms. When she realized who it was, she started sobbing into his chest, muttering something over and over. He eventually made out that she was saying "Sorry".

"Ino, honey, it's not your fault. It's ok, it's not your fault," he kept repeating, and Ino slowly calmed down enough to speak coherently. "What happened?" Inoichi asked gently.

It took Ino a few more seconds to gather her thoughts. "I heard Naruto get up and head downstairs, and I followed him to see if he needed help or something. I thought that, that, that he," Ino started to cry again, and it was a few more minutes before Inoichi could get her to continue. By this time the other parents had begun arriving, their clothes hastily thrown on as they rushed over to see to their own children. Chouza and Shikaku had already checked on their sons and left their wives upstairs while they came back down to give Inoichi some support. They had seen the large amount of blood in the hallway and already noticed that only a single child was not present, and none of the other children appeared injured in the slightest. Their faces were grim as they sat nearby, listening to Ino.

"I thought that he might be looking to get a drink, or maybe he had a bad dream. I just wanted to help him!" She looked ready to cry again, but pulled herself back together. "I heard something in the kitchen and thought it was Naruto, but when I turned the light on there was someone dressed all in black standing there. The guy jumped at me, then Naruto came out of nowhere and pushed me back into the hall and then there was blood everywhere and Naruto was, was-" Ino dissolved into tears again, and Inoichi let her cry it out. He'd gotten enough information.

He felt strangely proud of Naruto. A little over a week ago Naruto's first response to danger had been to obliterate the threat. Now apparently his priority had shifted such that he was willingly throwing himself into danger to protect his sister. Inoichi blinked, startled at that thought. Apparently at some point in the last week he'd started thinking of Naruto as a permanent part of the family, rather than as just a patient or the boy who was living with them. He also realized he'd thought of Naruto as his own son earlier. He tested the thought again: it felt strange, and different, but also very right.

He was worried that this change in perception would only make the loss that much harder to bear if Naruto did not survive. He'd seen enough trauma to know that the other children, especially Ino, would already bear scars from this night. If Naruto died, those scars would only get worse.

* * *

-2:00 AM-

-ANBU HQ, Medical Wing-

Shizune burst into the operating room and moved swiftly to the operating table. She had a full kit of her own medical supplies strapped to her body securely, but the rest of her clothes were hastily thrown on; her shirt appeared to be inside-out and her pants were wrinkled. Her hair was pulled back with what appeared to be ninja wire.

"Status," Shizune snapped, her hands glowing green as she activated her own healing jutsu.

One of the med-nin stepped back to allow Shizune better access to Naruto and brought her up to speed. "He was brought in with two stab wounds, both caused by kunai which were still present in his body. We focused on removing the kunai in his lung first, and are currently working on stabilizing his breathing and slowing the blood loss. His chakra is reacting strangely to the treatment however and we are having trouble isolating the wound to begin the necessary repairs."

Shizune cursed. "Dammit, didn't you read the reports from last week?" The med-nin shuffled uncomfortably and shook her head. "You can't isolate his organs from his chakra or his body begins to shut down! Just ignore his chakra and focus on healing the wound!"

"But, what about the chakra reactions..." the med-nin stuttered.

"Of all the- get the hell out of the way," Shizune snapped, shoving the other med-nins aside. She focused both her hands on Naruto's right lung, moving the blood out of his lungs and slowly repairing the damage from the inside out. She may not have been involved in his last surgery, but she had made sure to question the med-nins involved extensively on what had happened and how Naruto's chakra reacted.

As she expected, as her healing jutsu began its work Naruto's chakra swirled around hers for a few seconds before moving to other parts of the wound. Even expecting it, she was still stunned by the speed at which Naruto's chakra healed the wound. In less that a minute his lung was completely healed, and as with the stab wound to his heart she could find no evidence that he had ever been stabbed at all.

Forcing her wonder aside she moved her hands to the kunai still lodged in his stomach. One hand gripped the kunai and slowly began to back it out, while the other healed the damage it left behind. By the time the kunai had been completely removed the wound was purged of contaminants and was sealed tightly. As before, there was no sign Naruto had ever been injured there.

She let out a relieved breath and slowly relaxed. An operation to heal wounds of that magnitude on a child would normally have taken hours and probably failed anyway. Once Naruto's chakra was allowed to assist, it took less than five minutes. Her mind drifted to the possibilities of such an ability if Naruto could do the same for other people. If he could, he would be far and away the best med-nin to ever walk the Elemental Nations, making herself and her teacher look like bumbling idiots. She resolved to push forward with his training as much as possible, regulations be damned.

She was drawn from her musings when Naruto opened his eyes. "Hey, Shizune-nee-chan. I guess you're the one who healed me this time?" he asked, his voice steady.

She lurched forward and gathered him into her arms, holding him tightly as a few tears spilled down her cheeks. "Yeah, Naruto-kun. I healed you. You're alright now." She said, more to herself than Naruto.

His hands patted her back gently as he returned the hug. "It's alright Nee-chan. You're an awesome med-nin, of course you could fix me right up."

The other people in the room just watched the scene dumbly, still shocked at Naruto's incredibly swift recovery. To them it appeared almost as if Naruto was comforting Shizune, rather than the other way around.

* * *

-3:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Mikoto Uchiha was the last parent to enter the living room after Inoichi called for them all to gather. While Inoichi had nothing against her personally, he was disgusted to note that her husband had not bothered to show up in person. He didn't care much for Fugaku, but he had thought the man at least cared enough for his family to make sure they were safe and sound. _Itachi,_ the nearly emotionless genius who had already become a genin, had accompanied his mother to the Yamanaka residence. Neither Mikoto nor Itachi said a word about Fugaku's absence, but the way Mikoto's fists clenched and Itachi's face tightened when his absence was commented on showed they were not particularly happy with him either.

"Why are we here?" Tsume Inuzuka asked bluntly, her hair even more untamed than usual. She had at least taken the time to throw on her jounin uniform, though the vest hung open. Her canine partner, Kuromaru, was sitting at her feet. He kept sniffing the air as if looking for something, drawing the occasional curious glance from the other occupants of the room. "Not to insult you Inoichi, but I'd feel much better if Kiba was back at home with me, and I'm sure the others feel the same."

Inoichi waved off her concern. "I understand fully. I am not the one who called us together, however."

Shibi adjusted his sunglasses slightly. No one found it the least bit odd that he was still wearing them in the middle of the night - everyone in the room knew that the glasses were not worn for protection from the sun. "Then who called us together?" he asked.

"That would be me," Sarutobi said, entering the room. The other occupants startled slightly but quickly snapped off salutes and polite greetings. Sarutobi waved them off impatiently. "All of your children were potentially threatened by the events of this night, even if it was Naruto-kun who bore the brunt of the attack. He is fine, by the way. Shizune-chan says he will make a full recovery." A small lie, since Shizune had said Naruto was _already_ completely recovered, but the other people in the room didn't need to know just how fast Naruto could heal.

Inoichi let out a shaky breath and wiped his hand over his face. He was most definitely not crying. He felt Chouza and Shikaku both put a hand on his shoulder and sent them a grateful nod.

Sarutobi smiled at Inoichi briefly before his face turned serious again. "We have begun interrogating the intruder, but we already have a rather interesting piece of information: his identity." Grim faces stared back at him, waiting for him to continue. "The intruder was Kaito Miyazaki, part of the Kumo delegation." As expected, the ninja in the room began to mutter angrily, hands twitching towards their weapons. Tsume appeared ready to rip the delegation apart with her bare hands, a feat she was certainly capable of.

Unsurprisingly, it was Hiashi whose mind turned to the political implications. "Are they going to demand that he be released into their custody?"

The Hokage smiled, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Why would they need to? Kaito is still present in the hotel, after all. Clearly the man who broke into this house was an impostor attempting to frame Kumo and disrupt the treaty negotiations. As any good ally would, we will do all in our power to uncover the true identity of this ninja and inform Kumo. When they discover that Kaito replaced himself with a clone supplemented with a genjutsu and that the intruder was in fact Kaito after all... well, sometimes our interrogators go a little too far and irreparable damage is the unfortunate result."

The other ninja nodded, understanding the Hokage's message.

Sarutobi then looked at Inoichi directly. "Your former apprentice might require your assistance, Inoichi. It would be a shame to deprive him of your guidance on this occasion."

Inoichi shot to his feet, a genuine smile on his face. "Understood, Hokage-sama. Thank you," he said, then vanished in a shunshin, heading to the Torture and Interrogation department.

It was Shibi who asked the next question. "What if the rest of the delegation was involved after all, Hokage-sama?"

There was nothing kind or gentle about the smile on Sarutobi's face. "Then diplomacy will be the least of their concerns," he said.


	9. Corrective Action

-April 29th, 338 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"The Hokage will see you now, Maruyama-san," the secretary said, smiling politely. The Kumo ninja barely acknowledged her as he stepped past and pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.

As one of the senior-most ninja in Kumo, he had of course been in the Raikage's office on many occasions, and he had always been curious what the other Kage's offices were like. He was a little disappointed to find that the Hokage's office was actual very similar to that of the Raikage: a desk stacked with paperwork, pictures of previous Hokages hanging on the wall - along with one of Sarutobi himself, taken when he was newly appointed Hokage judging by the youthful look - and several chairs scattered throughout the room. The couch sitting to one side was different, though; the Raikage kept a collection of weights in his office so that he could exercise and maintain his strength while working. Apparently the Hokage favored napping on the job, Katsuo thought derisively.

His evaluation of the office was interrupted when the old man sitting behind the desk looked up from his paperwork. "Ah, Maruyama-san, I wasn't expecting you. I thought the Kumo delegation had already left earlier this morning," the Hokage said pleasantly.

Katsuo felt another wave of disgust. The Hokage didn't even know when foreign ninja were present in his village? It appeared the skills of the so-called 'God of Shinobi' had dulled considerably with age. He kept his thoughts to himself, however.

"Unfortunately, one of the members of my delegation was missing when we awoke this morning. We waited to see if he would return on his own, but he has not. I am asking your permission and cooperation in searching the village to locate him," Katsuo said, gritting his teeth slightly. If he had his way his fellow ninja would already be combing the village. However, even if the Hokage was a mere shadow of his former self, he had to remain polite. Kumo had a lot to gain from this alliance, and offending the old fool by stepping on his ninja's toes would erase all the progress they had made over the past week.

Sarutobi blinked owlishly, looking surprised. "Really? I wasn't aware that anyone had left your hotel since yesterday evening. Let me call my Jounin Commander in and see what we can find out."

Katsuo stifled his impatience as the Nara was called, shifting silently in place until he stepped into the room.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Shikaku asked, bowing.

"Did anyone escort any of the Kumo delegation from the hotel last night?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Shikaku said immediately.

The Hokage turned back to face Katsuo. "Well, that seems odd... are you sure he isn't in the hotel somewhere?"

Katsuo's knuckles popped as he clenched his fists, but he held back his anger. This senile old fool was wasting his time. "Absolutely, Hokage-sama."

"Well, that doesn't seem right then... did your ninja leave the hotel on his own?"

Katsuo's frustration got the better of him as he snapped off his reply. "It would seem so, Hokage-sama."

The transformation from senile old man to battle-hardened veteran ninja happened in an instant. "Then your delegation has violated the conditions of your stay within Konoha. Your group will be escorted immediately to the gates of Konoha, and a message sent to the Raikage demanding compensation for this trespass. It is unfortunate that one of your ninja would jeopardize the negotiations for the treaty in such a manner, but I will leave the consequences of that up to your Raikage."

Katsuo was reeling in shock from the change in the Hokage even as he realized just how thoroughly their entire delegation had been played, probably from the moment they first walked into Konoha. A week spent with the kindly, slightly forgetful grandfather image had instilled a false sense of security and caused him to underestimate the old man, and now he had been lured into providing an admission of guilt out of his own mouth. He didn't know whether to admire their deception or curse himself for falling for it.

"As for your missing comrade, no one has turned up identifying themselves as affiliated with your group. However, we did make several arrests last night and its possible there was a mix up of some sort and that he was one of them. If you will provide a name and description, we will see if we can find him for you. ANBU."

As the Hokage finished speaking, two ANBU appeared behind him each grabbing hold of his shoulder and arm. They did not apply excessive pressure or seek to cause discomfort, but they made it very clear that they could immobilize him at a moment's notice.

"Escort Maruyama-san to his team, then escort the entire group to the northern gate."

Thirty minutes later, the Kumo ninja were waiting restlessly outside the gates of the village. Two ANBU squads had kept watch over them the entire time, and they were beginning to wonder how long the Hokage intended to keep them waiting. There was a small commotion near the gates and Katsuo turned to see the Hokage and most of the clan heads from Konoha's Council walking towards his group. They approached at a sedate pace, but Katsuo could see that their faces were tense and unfriendly, a stark contrast to their demeanor earlier in the week.

"Ah, Maruyama-san. How nice to see you again," the Hokage said. Now that Katsuo knew it was an act, he actually found the grandfatherly expression on the Hokage's face a little disturbing. "We did manage to locate someone matching Kaito Miyazaki's description, but I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. It seems that Kaito broke into a clan compound and attempted to murder the child of one of our ninja clans. He was caught, but not before the child was gravely injured," the Hokage said, deliberately keeping the exact details vague.

Katsuo's face paled as he listened to Sarutobi speak – this was bad. This was very bad. Kumo was strong, but they could ill afford a war with Konoha, especially if the village as a whole underplayed their strength as the Hokage had. That the village acknowledged as the strongest in the Elemental Nations could actually be even stronger than they appeared to be worried him greatly. Even if the situation did not lead to war, the damage to the negotiations and Kumo's potential alliance with Konoha would be considerable.

He heard his fellow ninja tensing and a couple even reached for weapons, and he barked a command for them to stand down. He kept his eyes on Sarutobi the whole time. The old man's face may be smiling and apologetic, but his eyes were sharp and watchful, almost eager. Katsuo shivered; he didn't doubt that part of the Hokage wanted them to attack. Whichever clan Kaito attacked – and he privately suspected that the Hyuuga compound had been targeted – the Hokage and the clan heads were taking it very seriously.

Katsuo licked his lips nervously before he spoke. "Where is Kaito now?"

"Ah, well that's some more bad news, unfortunately. Since Kaito did not identify himself as a Kumo ninja and did not have any identification on his person, he was taken to the Interrogation Department. It seems that he refused to talk, and I'm afraid that they got a little excited." Sarutobi gave a soft sigh. "Kids these days just don't know when to stop, do they?" he said, voice almost wistful.

Katsuo felt Sarutobi's eyes boring into his own. The Hokage's tone may be light and conversational, but the underlying message was clear. Kaito had crossed a line and paid the price. It remained to be seen just what that price was, however.

"Well, now that you know who he is, would you be willing to release him into our custody? I will personally see to it that the proper reparations are paid for his trespass," Katsuo offered.

Instead of answering verbally, the Hokage snapped his fingers. Two ANBU appeared in a shunshin, dropped something on the ground in front of Katsuo, and vanished again. The Hokage's eyes never left Katsuo's, and Katsuo was almost afraid to look down. The retching sounds coming from behind him told him all he needed to know about Kaito's state.

"It appears there might be a small amount of permanent damage. Konoha ninja take a very dim view of anyone who attacks children, and that seems to have fed into their eagerness in the interrogation. Still, I just can't find it in myself to chastise them too severely. I feel much the same myself, after all," the Hokage said, his tone still pleasant.

Katsuo nodded slowly. "I understand perfectly, Hokage-sama."

"Wonderful! I'm glad we had this little discussion. I will contact the Raikage soon to discuss our next steps, but I'm afraid given the circumstances that the negotiations will be on hold for now," Sarutobi said. His face changed into that chilling visage that made people remember just why he was known as one of the most powerful ninja to ever walk the Elemental Nations.

"Now get out of my village."

* * *

-11:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

Inoichi Yamanaka and Ibiki Morino were waiting for the Hokage to return to discuss the results of their interrogation of Kaito Miyazaki. They had already confirmed that the other members of the delegation had not been involved at any point of the attack, but they had found out a great deal of useful information that merited the Hokage's attention.

They were chatting about some of the more surprising bits of information Inoichi had managed to pull from Kaito's mind. They were also trying to avoid thinking about what they had done to the man. Interrogation could be an ugly business, but they usually avoided dealing permanent or debilitating damage, especially to another ninja. It was an unwritten rule among the villages to avoid that sort of thing – it helped keep the violence from spiraling out of control in times of peace and possibly leading up to another war.

The Hokage's orders on this matter were intended to send a clear message to Kumo that they had crossed the line. His earlier conversation with Maruyama underscored that point while letting the Raikage know exactly why Konoha had gone that far. It was a calculated risk on their part – Kumo wouldn't be happy and would likely demand reparations of their own for the treatment of their ninja, but they most likely wouldn't seek to retaliate otherwise; that the Hokage had left the rest of the delegation unmolested would help a great deal in lowering the tensions.

For all the physical damage Ibiki had done though, it was Inoichi's contribution that was perhaps the worst – after pulling all the memories he could from the Kumo ninja, he had completely and irrevocably shattered the man's mind, leaving the body a soulless husk. In some ways it was a mercy, but Inoichi hated using his mind techniques like that - he was far more comfortable with his role as a mind healer, which was why he had left T&I in the first place. For this man though, he had made an exception; and even disgusted with himself as he was, he would do it again if someone ever threatened his family like Kaito had.

They snapped to attention when the Hokage entered the room. Sarutobi waved at them to relax as he settled into his chair with a tired sigh. His rest the previous night had been cut very short and he had been kept busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack on the Yamanaka household. He was also eager to get through this meeting so he could finally visit Naruto in the hospital.

"Give me the most pressing information first – we'll deal with the rest another time," the Hokage commanded. Inoichi and Ibiki consulted briefly, and Inoichi stepped forward.

"Kaito was Kumo's foremost infiltrator, which explains how he was able to penetrate the security around the house with such ease. I was able to pull a great deal of information about the security of various villages and cities, including Kumo itself, from his mind. He also had two contacts within Konoha: a merchant and a waiter. We are prepared to take them into custody at any time."

The Hokage thought for a moment. "Not just yet. I want a report on what information they have provided and the likelihood that they could be used for disinformation before I make a decision there," he said finally.

"Understood, Hokage-sama. Moving on, Kaito actually overheard my conversation with Hiashi shortly after the Council meeting broke for lunch a few days ago, which is how he originally learned of the party. He was able to gather additional details on his own and made his own plans for the attack. He intended to kidnap Hinata Hyuuga and possibly Sasuke Uchiha and take them back to Kumo. He believed that doing so would cement his fame within Kumo forever, as well as greatly strengthening the village in the future when the bloodlines were firmly established. This appears to have been entirely his own idea; Kaito actually believed that the Raikage would be upset at his actions, but would forgive him and praise him if he was successful."

Ibiki stepped forward next, motioning to the folder he held in his hands. "We have compiled a list of Kaito's contacts throughout the Elemental Nations. We believe that if we act quickly we can eliminate or even subvert a substantial portion of Kumo's spy network."

The Hokage nodded, pleased. "I will pass this information on to Jiraiya; he'll decide what to do with it from there. Excellent work, both of you," he said, then turned back to Inoichi. "Were you able to get anything about his attack on your home?"

Inoichi shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The Memory Leech jutsu targets long-term memory, and the events of last night were not included. We have sufficient information from Ino and the guards to put together a solid picture of what happened; the only question at this point is why Naruto was downstairs at all. He often has trouble sleeping, however, so it would not surprise me if he was simply looking for something to drink or heading to the library."

The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Inoichi... did Naruto use any of the tailed beast's chakra last night?"

Inoichi blinked. "Ah... no, actually. He didn't," he replied, surprised. He hadn't noticed that detail in the frantic haze of the moment or the constant worry that followed. "Ino said that Naruto shoved her out of the way, so it may be that he was more focused on protecting Ino than killing his attacker this time, which could perhaps have made the difference. It bodes well for his eventual recovery if his priorities have already shifted, though I'm still worried about how willing he is to put himself into harm's way. Grateful, of course," he added hurriedly. "Naruto saved Ino's life last night, but I'm still worried about him."

Ibiki snorted. "If the kid keeps healing as fast as he has the last two times, I'm not sure you can really call it 'harm's way' anymore. He's already survived two attacks that should have killed him with not even a scar to show for it. Lucky bastard," Ibiki finished, muttering. Ibiki's face alone was heavily scarred, and the bandanna he wore on his head covered an even worse sight.

The Hokage frowned, turning a disapproving glare at Ibiki. "He may heal quickly, but I'd much prefer he never get hurt at all, especially as young as he is. I am glad to hear that he and Ino are getting along as well as they have, and it gives me hope for the future that Naruto was willing to risk himself to save another. Still, he shouldn't have to make such decisions so young."

The other ninja nodded in agreement and they fell into a thoughtful silence. After a minute, Sarutobi cleared this throat and spoke.

"Well, unless there's something else that requires my immediate attention, I think it's time I paid a visit to our little hero," Sarutobi said. "And then maybe I can get some damn sleep," he finished under his breath. Ibiki and Inoichi politely pretended not to have heard that last part.

* * *

-2:00 PM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Kuushou was not sure how to feel about last night's events. On the one hand, the best chance he'd had yet to find information on the current whereabouts of any of his brethren had been interrupted by Ino's appearance, and he was rather annoyed about that. On the other hand, simply knowing that a Kumo ninja had been around them at some point in the last month or so meant that Kumo likely was still keeping them captive. His research had already determined that Seika and Atsuzan were last sighted in the Land of Lightning fighting Kumo ninja, but that information was decades old. This was the first time he'd found information that wasn't years out of date, and it also confirmed that he would be able to track his brethren once he was close enough.

In retrospect, it was unlikely he would have gotten anything useful out of the Kumo ninja anyway, and his spur of the moment confrontation likely would have ended very badly if the guards had found him talking with the ninja. Some very awkward questions could have come up that even now he wasn't sure he could have answered. From that perspective, Ino's interruption could quite possibly have saved his life; at the very least it kept suspicion off of him. So... did he actually owe her something?

His musings were interrupted when the door to his room slowly creaked open, stopping when just a small crack was visible. He could see blond hair and a blue eye peeking through the gap. He cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Ino-chan, what you are doing?" a voice in the hallway asked in exasperation. The door suddenly opened fully, and Ino squeaked as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. She took a long moment to pick herself up, and even as she stood fully in the room her gaze was focused firmly downward. Kiku placed a firm hand on Ino's back and guided her over to Naruto's bed.

Kuushou watched Ino curiously. She had yet to look straight at him since she entered the room, instead sending quick glances his way then looking back down. Every now and then her body would tremble, and if he wasn't mistaken her bottom lip was quivering. What in the world was she doing?

"Ino-chan, what's wrong with you? You practically dragged me over here," Kiku asked, a little concerned. Ino had been desperate to make sure Naruto was alright and she had not taken it well when she found out that Naruto wasn't allowed visitors at first. Kiku knew that Naruto had been in the ANBU hospital at the time, but the general population wasn't supposed to know that particular piece of information. Instead the story was that he had gone to the normal hospital for treatment and had only been recently moved into a room that allowed visitors. In addition, the full extent of his wounds had been downplayed while his recovery time had been inflated considerably.

When Ino had heard that Naruto was finally allowed visitors, she had almost bolted out the door by herself even though she didn't actually know where the hospital was. The entire trip over she had pleaded with her mother to go faster, but once they actually arrived at Naruto's room her demeanor completely changed. Now she seemed almost scared to be here.

"Hey, Ino-nee-chan, what's wrong? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Kuushou asked. The humans would not be happy with him if he had injured her.

That question seemed to break Ino's resolve, and she threw herself onto the bed as she burst into tears. Kuushou patted her awkwardly as she clung to him. She was babbling as she cried, but he could pick out certain phrases that were repeated over and over: "I'm sorry," and "Please don't hate me." He understood what the problem was a little better then, and knew the expected response. He unknowingly echoed Inoichi's earlier words as he rubbed her back and consoled her.

"It's ok, Ino-nee-chan. It's not your fault."

It felt strange to realize how much the little human actually cared for him - and even stranger that he did not feel disgust at the thought. His relationship with this human could not possibly compare to the millennia he had spent with the Bijuu or the centuries with his own tribe, but his mind began to recall those distant days when the Bijuu were newly born. Even then, none of the others would have dared worry for him. Even then, long before they had understood their own immortality, he had always been the most powerful - it was his job to worry about them.

He could still remember how it felt to worry about the others, though, the fear that these few beings, precious and familiar, could be taken from him never to return. He could remember the paralyzing terror that he felt when it seemed that his own little brother had perished in the first war, and the joyous relief that had come when he survived.

And despite himself, despite his anger at the humans who had sealed him and stolen his brethren from him, he found himself thinking that perhaps not all of them were enemies.

* * *

-10:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence, Main Bedroom-

"You should have seen them, Inoichi. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Ino was bawling her heart out and Naruto was hugging her for all he was worth, rocking her back and forth. I swear he was even crying a bit himself," Kiku said. She sniffled a little bit, and wiped her eyes.

"Are you crying?" Inoichi asked teasingly.

Kiku slapped him on the chest. " _Yes,_ I'm crying, and you should be too. I know it's only been a little more than a week, but I already feel like Naruto is part of the family. Ino absolutely adores him, and Naruto really seems to like it here. I've even–," she cut herself off, looking a little embarrassed and unsure.

Inoichi had a good guess as to what she'd been about to say, and he sat up and pulled her closer to him. "You've even thought of him as your own son," he finished quietly.

Kiku stiffened slightly, worried. "How did you–"

"Because I have too," he assured her. "When I saw him lying there in the hallway, it was just like when Ino broke her arm, worse even. That horrible helpless feeling...," he said.

Kiku relaxed into Inoichi's embrace. "Is that normal? To feel like this so quickly?"

Inoichi shrugged. "Probably not, but do you regret it? Do you feel like we should let Naruto live somewhere else?"

"Absolutely not!" Kiku said immediately.

"Well, there you are."

They lay there in silence for a while, thinking about all the changes Naruto had already brought to their life, and the changes that would likely come in the future. Kiku spoke again after a while.

"Inoichi... do you think you can really help Naruto?" she asked uncertainly.

Inoichi held her tighter. "I will," he said, his voice full of conviction. "I will."

* * *

-May 1st, 338 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Uchiha Compound, Clan Head's Residence, Fugaku Uchiha's Private Office-

"I trust that you have learned to be a little more creative in your solutions in the future, Shinji? Yuudai?" Fugaku said.

"Yes, Fugaku-sama," they answered. The two Uchiha, the same Uchiha whom Fugaku had called upon to clear up his little problem with the civilian councilors, were currently kneeling on the floor of his office. They held themselves stiffly and their voices were tinged with pain, though they did not dare voice a complaint.

Fugaku firmly believed that pain was the best motivator, and had thoroughly beaten his lesson into their bodies over the last week. He was similar to the Hokage in this regard, though the Hokage took far less pleasure in administering the lessons, and at least made sure that those being disciplined got some benefit from the experience; Fugaku just focused on the pain.

He had not been amused to learn that both Naoki and Harumi had died while falling down stairs. It seemed that Shinji and Yuudai had decided to each perform a genjutsu on one of their targets, but it had never occurred to them to coordinate their genjutsu or to make sure that they took different approaches. Such laziness and lack of foresight did not speak well of their skills, nor did it reflect well upon the clan as a whole.

He dismissed them, and sat back in his chair as they stood and slowly hobbled out of the room. He would need someone else for such work in the future, someone far more skilled and thoughtful. Someone he could trust implicitly, of course, but still someone who was capable of thinking for themselves.

The first name to enter his mind was Itachi, but he dismissed it just as quickly; Itachi would be wasted on such tasks. No, Itachi was destined for ANBU, and would give Fugaku his first source of information within the ranks of the Hokage's most trusted ninja. At Itachi's current rate of progress, he would likely make chuunin within the year, and recruitment into the ANBU program would follow quickly. It was entirely possible that Itachi could make ANBU Captain within the next five years, destroying that Hatake brat's record. The Uchiha should be the best in all things, and Itachi was the perfect example of this.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was not. Fugaku honestly didn't know where he had gone wrong. He had married a strong kunoichi from within the clan, the only female in his generation to completely master her sharingan. Their first child had proven the strength of the Uchiha blood: perfect scores in the Academy, graduation in a single year, a perfect mission record, and well on his way to fulfilling the service and mission requirements for chuunin. Sasuke, their second child, should have followed in his brother's footsteps. Instead, Sasuke was... barely above average. A bitter disappointment. Useless.

The jinchuuriki, on the other hand, was already being compared to Itachi. If it was in chakra or raw power, Fugaku would have chalked it up to the tailed beast sealed into the child. But no, it was his intelligence and learning speed that rivaled or even outstripped Itachi's. Coupled with the rate he could heal himself, the kid might even prove to be more powerful than Itachi... if you left out the sharingan, of course. With the sharingan, it was no contest.

Fugaku sighed, and refocused on the task at hand. While the Hokage had been out dealing with the attack on the Yamanaka household and removing the Kumo ninja from Konoha, Fugaku had been scrambling to shore up his hold on the civilian side of the council. The civilians most likely to fill the now vacant seats on the Council had proven difficult to sway until he promised them a few "off the books" missions from an Uchiha ninja in addition to the traditional perks provided by his police force. Once he had secured their votes, the next vote for the temporary ninja seats on the Council would go his way, and he would have the majority of the votes on the Council following his lead. From there, it was simply a matter of time until he was Hokage.

Now he just needed a ninja capable of handling those missions while keeping it quiet, as Shinji and Yuudai had proven unsuitable to continuing to work for him in that capacity. Fugaku drummed his fingers on his desk as he reviewed possible ninja for the jobs.

It was so difficult finding good help these days.

* * *

-Same Time-

-Kurama Compound-

"Thank you for agreeing to return to active duty, Tetsuya-sama."

Tetsuya nodded solemnly. The sixty-year old shinobi had been retired for nearly a decade now, and had refused to return to active duty in the wake of the tailed beast's attack, instead focusing on managing clan affairs. This arrangement had allowed the younger members of the clan to perform more missions and so had been permitted, though a few members of the clan resented him for it. The opportunity now before the Kurama clan was too important to ignore, however.

"For the sake of the clan, I could not do otherwise," he said.

Murakumo, the current head of the Kurama clan, smiled. "Yes, once Takao and Madoka graduate early next year, the Kurama clan will finally have the requisite numbers to obtain a permanent seat on the Konoha Council. The prestige alone will greatly increase our fortunes and further secure our place within Konoha."

Unkai, Murakumo's brother, nodded in agreement. "It's been galling to watch the Uchiha flaunt their status even when so many of their members barely know which end of the kunai to hold. It's about time the Kurama finally got a say in the direction of this village."

* * *

-May 12th, 338 NE-

-Land of Whirlpools-

A tall, thin ninja wrapped in a cloak that obscured the ninja's entire body gave the courier ninja his fee and sent him on his way. The ninja waited until the courier was out of range before leaving the area, beginning the thirty-minute trek back to shelter. Only once the ninja was inside and the door sealed did she dispel the henge that concealed her form.

"We've got another letter," the woman said, tearing open the envelope. Seeing the letter was encoded, she set to work deciphering the letter's contents.

"Another job already? Don't we have enough funds for now?" her companion, another woman, asked. She was currently working her way through her sword form, her body dripping with sweat as she flowed around the room, her blade flashing through the air with deadly grace and precision.

"Let's see... Oh, it's from-" she cut off with a snarl, her face tightening with fury. Her hands began to shake as she continued to read the letter.

"What? What is it?'

The first woman thrust the letter towards her companion and stalked off to a corner. Her fists tightened and her knuckles cracked, but she stopped herself from lashing out at the wall. They couldn't afford to destroy the hideout they were in at the moment, after all.

Silence permeated the room for a long minute before the second woman dropped the letter, letting it fall to the floor.

"Tsunade," she growled, unconsciously hefting her blade, "tell me again why I can't just kill them all?"

"I'm having a hard time remembering that myself right now, Kushina."

They shared an angry glance, each wishing they had something to lash out against, something to distract themselves. Kushina was the first to break.

"What have they done to my son?" she cried, falling to her knees.

Tsunade hurried to her side, wrapping her in a hug as the other woman wailed. She couldn't find anything to say. She also couldn't stop the little ball of fear that settled in her gut, a fear that said that even when they finally got Naruto back, it might already be too late.


	10. The Last Straw

-October 28th, 339 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Fugaku's Private Office-

"What do you mean they graduated early?" Fugaku snarled.

"Both Madoka and Takao Kurama successfully passed the graduation test two years early, and have already passed the second genin test with their squads. With Tetsuya Kurama's reactivation, the Kurama clan now have–"

"I know, dammit! Those pathetic little upstarts think they deserve to be a permanent clan on the Council," Fugaku sneered. His expression soon turned pensive. As things stood the Kurama would get their seat, and they would certainly not be voting Fugaku's way.

This wasn't the first setback he'd suffered recently, either. The Ogawa clan had been making waves in Konoha this past year. They were a relatively new ninja clan with strong civilian roots that had proven to be very effective in the field. Their connections with civilian council members were strong enough to secure one of the temporary seats despite Fugaku's wishes, and they too held no love for the Uchiha.

The Ogawa seat Fugaku had let slide, if reluctantly. Even if it made completely dominating the Council less likely, he would still have the simple majority he needed to secure his election as Hokage. But the loss of another seat to the Kurama changed things considerably.

Without that vote, he would only have the ten civilian votes and, perhaps, a single seat on the ninja side. The ANBU Commander, the Jounin Commander, and the other eight ninja seats would all certainly vote against him. The risk that he could lose the vote of the last remaining temporary seat or one of the civilian votes was far too high now that his advantage had dwindled to a single vote. Barely a month remained before the five year term ended and now, when he was so close to securing his ambition, everything was beginning to slip away from him.

The Uchiha who had delivered the message wisely withdrew as Fugaku began to leak killing intent, shutting the door behind him. That was fortunate, as Fugaku would not have appreciated any witnesses to the tantrum he indulged in shortly thereafter.

Several minutes later Fugaku collapsed in his chair, still fuming. The Kurama clan specialized in genjutsu, and with the sharingan's ability to detect such illusions the Kurama's strongest power was absolutely useless. Fugaku by himself could probably take on most of their so-called ninja without even breaking a sweat. Even idiots like Yuudai and Shinji could take out any of the Kurama at their leisure. The Kurama only just met the requirements to become a permanent clan anyway; if even one of their ninja retired or–

Fugaku suddenly shot to his feet. The answer was so simple and obvious, it surprised him that it took this long to come up with it. It was also illegal and even treasonous, but that sort of thing had long ago ceased to matter to him. In his mind he already considered himself the next Hokage, and the Hokage often had to make difficult sacrifices for the good of the village.

What did it matter if one insignificant genin died in an unfortunate training accident, compared to the prosperity he would bring to the village once he was Hokage?

It didn't matter at all.

* * *

-Same Day-

-6:00 PM-

-Uchiha Training Grounds-

Sasuke threw another punch at the log post that was sticking up out of the ground. His small fist and the meager power he could muster did not make the satisfying _thunk_ the older ninja produced, but he persisted anyway. Itachi-nii-san trained like this, so he would too. Another ten punches and he would run another lap around the training field. His mother would be calling him home in thirty minutes, and he wanted to get as much training as possible in while he had the time.

He wanted to impress Itachi with his progress when his older brother returned from his latest mission. Sasuke always got a warm glow of satisfaction when his mother and older brother praised his efforts, even if his progress paled before Itachi's own.

He had also heard the other ninja children had started their own training regimens shortly after _that_ incident, and he wanted to keep up with them as well. He wasn't certain if he could call them friends when he only saw them once or twice a month, but he always enjoyed the time he spent with them. No one ever compared him to Itachi then, and even Naruto, acknowledged by one and all as the strongest of their group, never made him feel weak or unwanted. They didn't care that he had yet to awaken his own sharingan.

Thoughts of gaining his sharingan brought his brother's words to mind – " _the sharingan is a tool, nothing more. It is the ninja that makes it dangerous… or not."_

His father said something else entirely though, constantly reminding Sasuke that " _it is the sharingan that sets the Uchiha above all other ninja. An U_ _chiha without a sharingan is barely an Uchiha at all."_ Even as young as he was, Sasuke understood the underlying message – if he wanted his father's acknowledgment, he would have to awaken his own sharingan as Itachi had.

His mother said nothing on the matter.

Sasuke wasn't sure what he himself thought, but he knew that whoever was right, activating his sharingan would make him stronger. Maybe then he could finally move closer to Itachi's level. Maybe then people would praise him as they praised Itachi and Naruto.

Maybe then his father would look at him.

* * *

-Same Day-

-9:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"What is so important that you had to bring me back to work, Dragon? I'd actually managed to catch up on my paperwork early, and was hoping to spend some time with my grandson," the Hokage said, visibly annoyed.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama, but the ANBU squads watching over the Uchiha Compound reported some suspicious activity, and given the nature of that activity I thought it best to inform you immediately," Dragon said, bowing.

The Hokage sighed, but settled into his chair. "Alright, let's hear it."

"Around six this evening, Katsuro Uchiha, who as you know is Fugaku's newest black ops ninja, was called into Fugaku's office. Shortly thereafter, he left the Uchiha Compound and observed the training sessions of Takao and Madoka Kurama. He followed them home, and spent nearly an hour observing the Kurama's security before returning to the Uchiha compound."

Sarutobi's face was a mixture of fury and disbelief. "He wouldn't," he growled.

"It appears that, in fact, he would," Dragon replied.

"I knew he had spent a lot of effort trying to lock up Council votes, but to stoop that low...," Sarutobi said.

"Even for an Uchiha, the man is despicable," Dragon spat. The ANBU surveillance on Fugaku over the last year and a half had proven most enlightening; Fugaku routinely bribed civilian councilors and took black ops jobs that did not meet the standards of village conduct set forth by the Hokage. It had actually come as a surprise, if a pleasant one, when they determined that Fugaku apparently only trusted a small subset of his clan with his personal agenda, a group that did not include his own wife.

"Do you have any idea when Katsuro will strike?"

"Other than the obvious deadline of the Council elections, no. Given Fugaku's pattern of arranging accidents for his victims, we can determine that Katsuro will most likely attempt something during a training session, although it is unknown how he plans to avoid the jounin instructor. His interest in the Kurama's security suggests he may try a more direct approach, although sabotaging the genins' equipment is also possible."

After waiting in silence for several minutes as the Hokage considered the information, Dragon volunteered an idea on how to handle the situation. "We could arrest Fugaku now," the ANBU Commander said. "We've already gathered enough evidence to prove criminal activity, even if we don't have anything to prove his more treasonous actions."

"We could, but the Uchiha would never stand for it, and the civilians would likely riot if their 'beloved' Chief of Police was taken into custody. That's why I haven't acted before now. No, we need to catch him in the act. We need to catch Katsuro alive, and get a confession out of him. With attempted murder of a fellow ninja, especially a child freshly graduated from the Academy, even the civilians will abandon Fugaku. Hopefully the other Uchiha will back down at that point, but I'm not going to play games anymore if Fugaku is ready to go this far. If the Uchiha still resist, they _will_ be taken down," Sarutobi said firmly. "I want ANBU shadowing Takao and Madoka at all times. I'll personally contact the Kurama and apprise them of the situation. Wherever and whenever Katsuro makes his move, we'll be ready."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Dragon said, bowing again. Even through the distortion of the mask, the ANBU Commander's voice carried equal measures of determination and eagerness.

* * *

-November 7th, 339 NE-

-10:45 PM-

-A Small Tavern in the Land of Water-

"They've managed to keep it quiet so far, hoping that they can find him or that he'll turn up on his own, but... the Mizukage has gone missing."

Only his strict discipline, strong nerves, and sincere desire not to waste such expensive sake kept Jiraiya from spitting his drink all over the table. "Missing? Like, missing-nin missing?"

"I don't think so. They don't seem angry about it, just worried."

"Well... shit."

"No kidding. Yagura is very popular, and the Kaguya in particular are not going to take it kindly if someone assassinated him. 'Course, it's kinda scary to think that someone could actually assassinate a Kage without some huge battle going down. Just goes to show even the best can be taken down, I guess."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement, but inwardly his thoughts were heading in a very different direction. Yagura wasn't just a Kage, he was a jinchuuriki. Even if he didn't have the absurd healing Minato's kid did, he would heal faster than most and poisons would have a hard time doing anything to him. He didn't rely on his larger chakra capacity to spam ninjutsu, either; Yagura was a taijutsu specialist and an absolute nightmare with that hooked staff of his. If anything ninjutsu was his backup skill.

Basically, there wasn't a chance in hell someone took him out without a fight.

"Anything else?" Jiraiya asked, already fishing around in his pockets for some coins to pay for the sake... and the information.

"Hmm... some more freelance ninja groups have started cropping up lately."

"What, like the Sword and Hammer you never shut up about?"

"Hey, those guys kick ass! Did you hear what they did over in the Land of Grass?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Doesn't change the fact that they're probably missing-nin from _somewhere_. Anyway, what about the new groups?"

"Well, there's the music note guys. They wear headbands like official ninja, and I think they're trying to start up their own village. They're still small fry right now, but I hear they're willing to take the jobs most ninja won't touch. They mostly operate near the Land of Hot Water."

"Ah... I remember those hot springs... and the ladies in them...," Jiraiya said, a lecherous grin crossing his face.

"Speaking of, when's your next book coming out?"

"Hey, you can't rush genius! It takes a lot of careful research to craft such perfect works of art!" Jiraiya said indignantly. "And that info is useless, I already heard about them six months ago."

"W-wait, they're not the only ones! There's these guys in black cloaks with red clouds on them that have been popping up everywhere. They were looking around the Land of Water two weeks ago! Don't try to tell me you've heard about that before!"

Jiraiya frowned thoughtfully. He had heard of them, but nothing as fresh as that. He'd started getting reports of them through his network nearly two years ago, but the information was often months old by the time it reached him.

"You got descriptions? Did they take any jobs?" Jiraiya pressed.

His informant shifted uncomfortably. "... No. The cloaks and the straw hats was all anyone could say. They just wander around for a bit, then leave."

"Then why are you so certain they're ninja?"

"Because they scare the shit out of everyone without even trying, that's why."

Dammit. That's the same thing everyone else said. So far these guys had been spotted in nine different countries, but they had yet to actually _do_ anything – and yet everyone took note of them and reported it. No names, no descriptions, no jobs taken, nothing. There really wasn't anything to report, and normally he wouldn't even waste his time with information that vague.

So why did he get the feeling it was so important?

* * *

-November 15th, 339 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino was red-faced and sweaty and her clothes were covered in dirt and leaves, but she paid her disheveled state no mind. She was focused on her current task, slowly but surely inching her way up a tree in her backyard using only her feet. The chakra exercise was incredibly difficult for her, but she persevered and was slowly but steadily making progress.

Naruto was sitting on the ground nearby, surrounded by odd bits of black debris. He held a leaf on the back of his hand, and his brow was furrowed in concentration. After several seconds, he slowly turned his hand over so that the leaf and the back of his hand were facing the ground. Almost instantly the leaf caught fire, and he muttered a curse as the newest lump of ash settled onto the ground. He snatched up another leaf and began again.

Ino's control slipped and she landed on the ground with a loud thump. She stood up with a small groan and rubbed her rear, muttering under her breath.

"You better not let Kaa-san catch you saying that," Naruto said distractedly.

"Yeah yeah," Ino replied. She eyed the tree for a moment, but decided to take a break; her reserves were running a little low anyway. She plopped down next to Naruto, not caring that she landed on several burnt leaves. "How's it goin', little brother?"

Naruto growled, a surprisingly animalistic sound issuing from his throat. "It's not."

Ino leaned over and patted him on the head, rubbing her hand through his hair and messing it up even more than it already was. "Even geniuses can't be great at everything. Besides, I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

Naruto gave her a sour look before he turned his attention back to his newest leaf. Another few seconds and a fresh lump of ash hit the ground. "I take it you had similar problems with spontaneously combusting foliage?"

Ino stuck her tongue out at him then sat back, leaning on her hands. "No, but I don't have the chakra reserves of a jounin either. Why don't you try something a little bigger or heavier? Or at least something less likely to catch on fire?" Ino suggested.

Naruto shrugged. "Shizune-nee-chan insists that I use leaves. She says using something heavy won't teach me the same skills using a leaf will."

Ino pouted. She knew it was silly, but she still felt a little jealous whenever Naruto talked about Shizune. Naruto's borderline obsession with becoming a med-nin complemented Ino's own decision to follow her father's path in mind-healing, but she felt sometimes like she was competing with the med-nin for Naruto's attention. It felt terribly selfish of her after everything Naruto had done for her and she made sure to squash those instincts whenever they rose up, but the feeling was still there.

"Well, why don't you try something in the middle then?" It had seemed like an obvious suggestion to her, even if she mostly offered it out of a desire to prove Shizune wrong, but Naruto's dumbstruck expression seemed to indicate otherwise.

Kuushou's troubles with human chakra control stemmed from the inescapable fact that, despite the body he currently occupied, he was not human. His youki was the dominant force within the body, both in quantity and quality. Whenever he tried even this simplest of exercises, his youki would completely overwhelm the human chakra and produce unpredictable and often destructive results.

He was currently attempting to completely isolate the human chakra from his youki and use only human chakra in the exercise, but that was proving nigh impossible. Always before he had simply surrounded the human chakra with his youki and essentially carried it wherever it needed to go. Despite his presence in the body, he only had the most tenuous of connections with the chakra it contained. He could feel it, and even move it about as it were his own youki to a limited extent, but once it was completely isolated from his youki it became dormant again.

Thus his current situation: if he used youki, the leaf burned; if he used just chakra, nothing happened.

But hearing Ino's suggestion had given him an idea for an entirely different approach, and he wondered why it had never occurred to him before. Rather than surrounding the chakra with youki, what if he attempted to blend the two energies together? A small amount of youki mixed into the chakra would theoretically increase the potency only slightly but still allow him to control it, if not nearly as well as pure youki. From there the control exercise, and eventually the incredible variety of human techniques, should be well within his reach.

He dropped the leaf he was holding and brought his hands together in front of him, concentrating on the two different energies his body contained. Ino looked confused, but recognized the expression on his face and sat back, allowing him to think.

Nearly a minute passed before a small bit of energy leaked out between his hands. It formed a rough sphere, wobbling to and fro and barely maintaining its shape. More important than the shape, though, was the color; instead of the expected blue chakra, the energy had a clear purple tinge to it. Even as Ino leaned forward to look closer the energy dissipated, but the way Naruto laughed told her that he was happy with that result. He jumped to his feet and pulled Ino into a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are absolutely brilliant, Ino-nee-chan," Naruto exclaimed.

Ino had no idea what she had said that was so brilliant, but she wasn't about to turn down the praise, nor was she about to dismiss the incredibly satisfying knowledge that she had helped her little brother where Shizune had failed.

* * *

-November 17th, 339 NE-

-1:30 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Katsuro is preparing to make his move, Hokage-sama. Takao Kurama's team is scheduled for full contact weapons practice this afternoon, and Katsuro has acquired a sharpened sword disguised to appear dull for Takao's opponent. He has also acquired a deadly poison and treated the blade. In addition, he has acquired several similarly disguised and poisoned kunai, apparently as a backup plan," Dragon reported.

"Not exactly subtle, is he? Still, it would be virtually impossible to trace this back to the Uchiha if he was successful," the Hokage mused. "Very well, I want Katsuro taken into custody as soon as he makes the switch and taken to T&I. Once we get enough evidence, we'll arrest Fugaku. We'll need to move quickly to make sure Fugaku doesn't have time to prepare. If we can catch him off guard, we may be able to take him in without a fight."

"And if he is prepared?" Dragon asked.

The Hokage's face became grim. "Then bloodshed may be unavoidable. If it comes to that, we may require some additional support; your brother, for instance."

Dragon nodded. "He would be most eager to take part in this. He always complains that I get to have all the fun, and nothing would make him happier than to take down Fugaku personally."

The Hokage snorted. "No doubt."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:00 PM-

-Hyuuga Compound, Main House Training Area-

"Again," Hiashi Hyuuga barked.

Hinata slowly picked herself up off the mat and settled back into the stance for her family's famed and feared fighting style, the Jyuuken, or Gentle Fist. Her feet slid apart, her right foot forward and her left back, while her hands mirrored her feet with her left hand forward in a guarding position and her right hand tucked close to her body.

Hinata was currently wearing a thin blue shirt and loose black pants tied off with a white belt. She had several bruises already forming on her exposed arms, and the occasional wince as she moved showed she had similar injuries elsewhere. Her indigo hair hung loosely down to shoulder level, swaying slightly whenever she turned her head. Her pale lavender eyes were currently narrowed in determination.

Hiashi examined her form for a long moment, then nodded in satisfaction. "Begin," he said.

Hinata launched herself forward, her hands moving quickly and firmly as she dueled with her fellow student. Her opponent, her cousin Neji, was wearing an ivory shirt and matching shorts, and his hair, actually longer than Hinata's, was gathered into a pony tail that mimicked Hiashi's own style. He had far fewer bruises than Hinata, though he had not come out of their clashes unscathed. He was also wearing a bandanna around his head, and was the only person in the room with his forehead covered.

Neji's stance matched his cousin's as their hands flashed through the space between them, diverting or blocking each other's strikes as they battled. He slowly began to advance, forcing Hinata to retreat in order to maintain the distance between them. As her stance shifted Neji suddenly darted to her weak side and struck, his hands blurring. It appeared for a moment as if he had won yet another bout before Hinata bent sideways, allowing Neji's hands to pass harmlessly above her as her own hands lashed out, touching several points on his chest.

She was unable to maintain her position for long, however, as she lost balance and fell the rest of the way to the floor with a light thud, panting. Neji did not follow up on this opening, instead retreating several feet and settling back into his stance, similarly breathless.

"Enough," Hiashi barked again, and strode onto the mat towards his two students.

Neji relaxed out of his stance and moved to stand next to Hinata, looking down at her panting form. After a moment, he thrust out his hand. Hinata reached up and took it with her own, and Neji pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you, Neji-nii-san," Hinata said, slowly regaining control of her breathing.

"Of course, Hinata-sama," Neji said, smiling. "You have improved remarkably in the last month. You would have completely disabled me in that last exchange."

Hinata blushed slightly, but nodded.

They both turned to face Hiashi as he knelt on the mat next to them, motioning for them to join him. Once they had settled into place, feet tucked under their bodies, backs straight and heads held high, he nodded firmly.

"What did you do wrong in that last exchange?" he began.

Neji spoke first. "I overextended on my strike, leaving myself open to a counterattack. My feet were also out of position, slowing my recovery time and preventing me from pivoting away from Hinata's attack," Neji said calmly.

Hiashi smiled, pleased with Neji's response. "Correct. You were too eager to strike at the opening and did not position yourself properly before attacking. At your current level of skill and experience, you should never sacrifice mobility to strike at an opponent. As you just saw, even with one opponent it can lead to your downfall and against multiple opponents it is an even worse mistake."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama," Neji replied, bowing his head as he absorbed the advice. He was used to this post-training discussion and no longer had issues critiquing himself or accepting the advice that followed. He had seen for himself in the year since he began training that he improved far faster when he listened.

Hiashi then turned to face Hinata expectantly. She blushed again, still unused to this sort of attention, especially when she was expected to criticize herself. After a moment, she offered her own hesitant analysis. "Um… I didn't recover properly when I dodged, and fell?" she offered.

Hiashi sighed softly, and relaxed his expression a little. "It should not be a question, Hinata," he corrected. "Still, you are correct. Like Neji, you focused too much on offense and not enough on proper defensive positioning. It worked out in this instance, as your strikes would have disabled Neji, but you left yourself open to attack if you had failed or if other ninja were present during the battle."

Hinata shrunk into herself slightly, but nodded in acknowledgment of his words. Hiashi was actually impressed; despite her relative lack of confidence compared to Neji, this response was much better than what had happened at the end of their first training session: when Hiashi had slowly coaxed her into finding something wrong about her own performance and then further explained what she had done wrong and why, she had ended up bursting into tears and running from the dojo.

Hisana had ended up giving him a piece of her mind later that day, though his wife did understand what he was trying to do. She had also worked with Hinata over the last month, providing an outlet for Hinata's frustrations that complemented Hiashi's more stern approach. Hisana had also talked him into adjusting his own approach to these post-training discussions, and even Neji seemed happier with the new way of doing things.

"As you are both having difficulty on defense, I think our next session will focus on that. That said, you have both done very well in your training so far.

"Neji, your speed has continued to improve steadily, and your stance is generally very stable. The strength behind your blows is also very promising; with time I think you will be able to penetrate your opponent's guard even during a frontal assault, which will serve you very well once you begin learning the Eight Trigrams.

"Hinata, your speed is also improving steadily, and your flexibility is already impressive. If you focus on that, you will be able to easily slip around your opponent's guard and strike at vital points effortlessly. As your footwork improves, I think your mother will have some very interesting techniques to teach you," Hiashi said, smiling encouragingly.

He spotted Hizashi lingering near the entrance to the dojo, and dismissed his two students for the day. Neji enthusiastically greeted his father, but was soon sent on his way as the two brothers had important business to discuss.

"It's happening today," Hizashi told his twin without preamble as the two began to walk through the Hyuuga compound. They were both currently wearing the same outfit; the only difference between them was the headband that covered Hizashi's forehead while Hiashi's was left bare.

Hiashi's face grew tense at the news. "When?"

"Within the hour. ANBU have requested support from the other clans in case Fugaku intends to resist. The Hokage hopes a show of force will deter him and we can get through this without bloodshed."

"And what does our ANBU Commander think?"

Hizashi snorted. "Not a chance in hell. Fugaku won't go down without a fight, even if he was alone; and knowing him, he won't be. I'm just glad Itachi is out on a mission right now."

"Really? I didn't think he was powerful enough to pose that sort of threat," Hiashi said quietly.

"He's not… yet. He'd do a lot of good in ANBU though, and things will go a lot smoother for him if he doesn't get caught up in this mess. By the time he gets back everything will be settled one way or another. Mikoto appears clean, and the majority of the Uchiha have no part in Fugaku's madness, so there's hope that with Fugaku out of the way things will settle down quick enough."

"You know the Kurama aren't going to be satisfied with Fugaku's head alone. They've got a serious bone to pick with the Uchiha."

"That's for the Hokage and the Council to figure out."

"You're on the Council, idiot," Hiashi said, amused.

"Yeah, well… shut up, brother," Hizashi responded petulantly.

They shared a quick laugh but their faces gradually grew grim as they mentally prepared themselves for the coming conflict. Turning to face one another, they clasped forearms and pulled each other into a brotherly embrace.

"Be safe," they said, and parted ways.

* * *

-2:30 PM-

-Hokage's Personal Training Grounds-

Sarutobi surveyed the ninja who were currently preparing themselves to battle Fugaku Uchiha and any of his clan who supported him. Most of them hoped that their preparations would prove unnecessary, but none of them really believed Fugaku would allow himself to be arrested. The best case scenario would be that Fugaku was quickly immobilized and that none of his clan fought against the arrest.

To one side nearly half of his entire ANBU force stood prepared, their masks the only feature distinguishing them from one another. Those who specialized in weapons or used other tools kept them hidden within their cloaks to avoid giving away any information to potential enemies. This gathering of such an elite force, comprised of some of the most powerful and experienced shinobi in all of Konoha, made for an intimidating sight. Dragon was moving through the group, making sure each squad knew their assigned roles and were prepared.

Shizune stood near the ANBU, she and her personal team of med-nin loaded down with medical supplies. They would not be involved in any fighting, but would be doing their best to make sure no one died, on either side.

Scattered around the clearing were representatives from the other clans of Konoha.

Hiashi Hyuuga had brought eight members from his clan in addition to himself; their Gentle Fist techniques would be invaluable in taking down opponents without killing them. The Hyuuga's long-standing rivalry with the Uchiha had turned bitter in recent years, and all of the Hyuuga appeared eager to commence with the mission.

Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Chouza Akimichi stood together, conversing quietly. Three other members of the Nara clan stood nearby, but Inoichi and Chouza were the only members of their clans present. That was understandable; while the Nara's shadow techniques were even more effective than the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist at capturing opponents, the Yamanaka and Akimichi skills tended to be more dangerous and deadly, and very few in Inoichi's clan had the skill to utilize the mind transfer jutsu in the midst of battle. The infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio had honed their teamwork to an incredible level and were considered one of the most effective strike teams in Konoha's history, but their fellow clan members had been unable to replicate their clan heads' success.

Shibi Aburame had brought five members from his clan, and the way their identical outfits of high-collared trenchcoats and sunglasses hid nearly their entire bodies was as disconcerting in its own way as the appearance of the ANBU. The Aburame would be placed with the ambush teams – in open battle the Uchiha's fire techniques would render the Aburame's insect-based jutsu highly ineffective.

Tsume Inuzuka and her partner Kuromaru rounded out the collection of clan heads, accompanied by four members from her clan and their own canine partners. She had a slightly sour look on her face. Tsume had not been pleased when told that her clan would be held in reserve in case the battle went badly or any Uchiha attempted to flee. Sarutobi had held firm on this point though; even the weakest of the Inuzuka's jutsu tended to do serious damage to their targets, and he still wanted to preserve as many lives as possible. That Tsume and her clan valued loyalty as highly as the Aburame valued honor also meant that the Inuzuka would "accidentally" go too far and end up killing opponents they might have incapacitated or disabled.

The Kurama clan had wanted to take part as well – literally every active shinobi ranked chuunin or higher from the clan had volunteered. Sarutobi knew their presence would practically guarantee a fight, however, and he wasn't certain whether it would be the Kurama or the Uchiha that would strike the first blow. They had finally relented when the Hokage promised to strip the rank from any Kurama ninja who interfered with Fugaku's arrest, the threat of losing their chance at a permanent seat on the Council sufficing to curb their bloodlust.

Satisfied that all ninja involved in the operation were present, the Hokage flared his chakra, drawing the attention of the other ninja in the clearing. "Everyone understands their roles in the operation, I trust?" A chorus of affirmatives rang out, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well. Move out," he said, and vanished in a shunshin. The other ninja followed quickly, and within seconds the clearing was completely empty.


	11. A House Divided

-November 17th, 339 NE-

-2:45 PM-

-Uchiha District-

The Uchiha clan head's home was located on one side of a large open area that served as the traditional gathering place for clan events. The home also had a great deal of space on either side and behind as well, serving to isolate it from the other buildings in the area. Madara Uchiha had originally designed it this way to emphasize the status and importance of the clan head, but it would prove very useful to the Hokage and his ninja on this day.

With so much empty space to work with, the various squads were able to completely surround the house while still leaving themselves ample room to maneuver. The ANBU squads were already establishing a secure perimeter to prevent anyone from approaching or leaving the house undetected, and the Hyuuga were putting their byakugan to good use as they scanned the area. The Hyuuga carefully monitored the location of any Uchiha, ready to intercept them or warn the other ninja of potential resistance.

The Hokage himself, accompanied by his ANBU Commander, approached Fugaku's home. Rather than simply breaking in, however, he kept things civil for the moment and knocked on the door. Dragon had already confirmed that Mikoto and Sasuke were currently within the house, and Sarutobi wanted to avoid getting them caught up in the conflict if at all possible.

Shortly after his knock, Mikoto answered the door, a pleasant smile on her face. Her smile quickly faded as she took in the Hokage's grim expression and the ninja prepared for battle surrounding her house. She couldn't see all of them, but what she could see told her everything she needed to know.

"It's come to this, has it?" she asked quietly, her expression more resigned than surprised.

The Hokage nodded, a sad smile on his face. "It's a nice day out. I think Sasuke would enjoy spending some time in the park, don't you?"

She smiled gratefully, a lone tear sliding down her cheek. "Thank you, Hokage-sama," she said, and stepped back to allow the two ninja to enter. Dragon kept careful watch for any reaction from the ninja currently gathered in Fugaku's office, but so far they did not appear to be aware of the events occurring outside the room.

Mikoto gathered up Sasuke and quickly left the house, shushing his questions as they passed the Hokage and the ANBU Commander. The ninja gathered outside allowed her to leave, already aware that she was not one of the targets they were supposed to capture.

Sarutobi turned to Dragon, an expectant look on his face. Dragon nodded and began his report. "Hokage-sama, there are four ninja in the office with Fugaku, all jounin. In addition, there are some suspicious chakra patterns on the walls and floor of his office that I believe to be seals, most likely traps of some sort. It would be unwise to approach him directly," Dragon said.

"Hmm… do you have any suggestions?" Sarutobi asked quietly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

After listening to his ANBU Commander's plan, the Hokage thought for a few moments before nodding in agreement.

"Very well, we shall do this your way."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:55 PM-

-Inside Fugaku's Office-

"Once Katsuro reports back, I want you four to accompany him on another mission," Fugaku said, a smirk on his face. "The head of the Ogawa clan is currently traveling to Otafuku Gai, and I want you to make sure he never makes it back."

If the other ninja in the room had any concerns about the nature of the mission given to them, they did not voice them. They all just nodded in acceptance, and waited for their leader to dismiss them or give them further instructions.

"While you are there, I also want you to-," Fugaku continued, but was interrupted by another knock at the door.

"What is it, Mikoto?" Fugaku snapped.

The door opened, and Fugaku was shocked to see the Hokage and the ANBU Commander walk into the room. The Hokage had a pleasant smile on his face, but his eyes were furious. Dragon's hands were hidden under his cloak, but Fugaku got the impression that the ANBU Commander was already holding weapons.

"Hello Fugaku," the Hokage said.

"H-Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Fugaku said, taking a moment to recover his equilibrium. The Uchiha ninja in the room shifted uneasily, unsure whether they should remain in the office or leave. Fugaku discreetly motioned them to move to his side of the room, and they slowly began walking in that direction.

The Hokage just watched silently for a moment, waiting until all the Uchiha in the room were gathered behind Fugaku's desk. Sarutobi glanced at Dragon and inclined his head slightly, then looked back to Fugaku again.

"There is nothing pleasurable about this visit, Fugaku," the Hokage said, the smile fading from his face. "Katsuro has been taken into custody and already confessed as to what his orders were, and who gave them. It's over. Things will go much better for you and your clan if you surrender peacefully."

Fugaku considered playing dumb for a moment, but quickly discarded the idea. There was no use trying to bluff the Hokage; Sarutobi was far too careful to make a move like this without making sure all his kunai were sharp and ready. It was unfortunate for the Hokage that he'd chosen to have the confrontation here, however.

Fugaku laughed, and leaned back in his chair. "You know, Hiruzen," he began conversationally, addressing the Hokage by name and intentionally leaving off the honorific, "I've wondered for a long time which of us was the better ninja. I admit that even now I am not as powerful as you were in your prime – I don't think anyone, even Minato, could truly measure up to the 'God of Shinobi'. But you are old, Hiruzen, and you've grown weak." Fugaku watched the Hokage's face for any reaction, but he didn't so much as twitch at the provocation.

Shrugging slightly, he continued. "Even in that first meeting after the tailed beast's attack, where you and Kensuke railroaded the Council into appointing you as Hokage, I could have beaten you. Even then, I could have prevented you from becoming Hokage again. I _let_ you win, out of respect for what you had done for Konoha. I _let_ you hold onto my title for a little longer, so you could die in peace and I would ascend uncontested.

"But it seems you are going to throw my generosity back into my face," Fugaku said. He stood slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his clothing and straightening his vest. "Very well, if this is the way it must be, then so be it."

He laid one hand upon his desk, and channeled chakra into the security seal hidden there. A barrier snapped into place that divided the room. In the moments it took the explosive seals lining the room to activate, he locked eyes with Sarutobi one last time, a mocking grin in his face.

"Farewell, old fool."

A massive explosion rocked the room, and the barrier nearly collapsed as it withstood the force of the blast. As the dust settled revealing gaping holes in the walls where the explosion had sent shrapnel and debris flying throughout the house, Fugaku remembered that Mikoto and Sasuke had been home. It didn't matter, he assured himself, ignoring the small pang of regret; Itachi was safely away on a mission, so the Uchiha legacy was secure.

Fugaku smiled as he waited for the dust to clear so he could observe the Hokage's remains for himself. He also wanted to pull the mask from the ANBU Commander, assuming his head was still intact – he'd always wondered who Dragon was.

He frowned when he noticed that there was no blood, and began to panic when he realized there were no signs that either the Hokage or Dragon had ever been there at all. What happened? Where were they? How could they have-

His face paled as he realized what had happened. The Hokage and Dragon had sent in shadow clones rather than entering themselves, and he had wasted his best chance to kill the Hokage on an empty shell. Cursing, he began running towards the front door of his house, the other Uchiha ninja following closely behind. He needed to gather reinforcements and rally his clan before-

Before this happened, he thought ruefully, staring out at the assembled ninja. Every face he could see was glaring at him in hatred or disgust, with the Hokage standing front and center. Beyond the perimeter of ANBU he could see his clan gathering, undoubtedly drawn by the explosion. Well, if he could delay a little longer, enough of his clan would be present to even the odds. Even the weakest Uchiha would be more than sufficient to take on the ninja gathered here.

He also saw that most of the clan heads were present. Good. Killing them would disrupt the other ninja enough for the Uchiha to seize control. All he needed was a little time.

* * *

Sarutobi watched as Fugaku looked around the area, taking in the many ninja who had gathered to bring him into custody. Fugaku's face twisted into a snarl as he realized he was outnumbered, though it quickly settled back into a neutral expression. Fugaku then fell into a defensive stance, as if daring anyone to attack him.

"Give it up, Fugaku. This is your last chance to surrender peacefully. If you continue to resist, I will put you down personally; then we'll see how much this 'old fool's' skills have dulled over the years," Sarutobi said, his eyes hard. The other ninja readied their own weapons or set their hands into the initial hand-sign of their favored jutsu, ready to unleash their techniques at a moment's notice.

Fugaku did not respond, instead slowly sweeping his gaze around him. Sarutobi waited for nearly a minute, but it seemed Fugaku intended to resist until the bitter end. Just as the Hokage readied himself to attack, Fugaku's voice rang out.

"Uchiha!" he cried, his voice amplified by a simple sound jutsu. "Hear me! The Hokage and the other clans have grown jealous of our power, and are trying to destroy our clan once and for all! It is the Uchiha who have carried this village through countless dangers, it is the Uchiha who have sacrificed to keep the village alive, and it is the Uchiha who should be ruling Konoha! These usurpers seek to cast us down from our rightful place! Are we going to allow this to continue?"

The Hokage hesitated, watching the reactions of the assembled Uchiha out of the corner of his eye; if he attacked now, the entire clan would likely support their leader, and this would turn into a bloodbath on both sides. Before he could raise his own voice to refute Fugaku's words, however, the Uchiha clan head called out again.

"If you be a true Uchiha, then you will stand with your clan! And strike now!" So saying, Fugaku activated his sharingan, his eyes turning blood red and the three tomoe that marked a fully matured sharingan spinning madly. The other Uchiha who accompanied him, and quite a few from the Uchiha gathering outside the perimeter, activated their own sharingan. As one, they struck, and the battle began.

Their first wave of attacks were mostly genjutsu-based, as those capable of using their sharingan in this manner did so. The ninja accompanying the Hokage were caught off guard by the abrupt start of the battle and several fell victim to the illusion techniques.

The more experienced among the Uchiha had chosen the form of their illusion for simplicity and maximum effectiveness, and these proved to be the most devastating for the Hokage's ninja. To them it appeared as though all of their companions had transformed into Uchiha ninja, and even as they began breaking the illusion they reflexively sprung apart, trying to gain distance from the potential attackers. The most dangerous illusions were always those that had a grain of truth, after all, and it was possible that the Uchiha truly were among them. The illusions were dispelled within seconds, but not before several ninja had been hit with kunai or ninjutsu.

The perimeter collapsed into a chaotic mess. The Uchiha who supported Fugaku charged forward or began to unleash ninjutsu against their opponents, while other Uchiha who wanted no part of the battle began to flee.

The Hokage himself stood his ground. He had avoided making direct eye contact with Fugaku from the beginning, as he had ample experience fighting Uchiha and knew that the most basic tenet of battling an Uchiha was to never look them in the eye. He had tried to impress this information on the other ninja, but it seemed not all of them had taken the lesson to heart.

"You have doomed your clan, Fugaku," the Hokage said. He reached up and mockingly adjusted the hat that functioned as a symbol of the Hokage's office. "It seems that you are going to throw my generosity back into my face. Very well, if this is how it must be, then so be it," the Hokage taunted, a smirk on his face.

Fugaku snarled. "I will kill you myself, Sarutobi, and take _my_ hat from your bloody corpse." With that, he charged forward, hands moving rapidly as he prepared a ninjutsu to attack.

* * *

Shibi Aburame watched from the shadow of an alley as the cloud of insects descended upon another Uchiha, swiftly draining all the available chakra from the ninja. While he had avoided exposure to the genjutsu, the confusion that had descended upon the battlefield meant that it was unclear which Uchiha were hostile and which bystanders. The group had been prepared for this eventuality though, and his standing orders were to incapacitate and detain any Uchiha who remained on the battlefield. Once his insects completely drained the Uchiha they returned to his body, and he melted back into the shadows to search for his next target.

Shibi suddenly leaped backwards, avoiding the large fireball that impacted the ground where he had stood a moment earlier. Looking up, he saw an Uchiha ninja sneering down at him from the roof of a nearby building, sharingan activated and spinning.

"One of the bug-users," the ninja sneered. "I know how to deal with your type." The ninja flashed through a quick series of hand seals and drew in a deep breath before unleashing another fireball. He laughed darkly when the fireball engulfed Shibi's form. "Pathetic."

Shibi appeared behind the ninja and with a few rapid punches rendered him unconscious. As his insects flowed out of his trenchcoat to consume whatever remaining chakra the Uchiha had, he sighed.

The Uchiha had attempted to use the Grand Fireball technique against an enemy who had already proven he could dodge it. Worse, the sharingan's abilities all relied on having a direct line-of-sight to the enemy, and by using the Grand Fireball the ninja had effectively blocked his own vision and rendered his prized sharingan meaningless. Even aside from those problems, Shibi was much faster than his Uchiha opponent yet the Uchiha had not even attempted to dodge or follow up on his own attack; it was like it never even occurred to him that he could miss.

"Yes, you are," Shibi told the unconscious Uchiha, then moved off to find his next opponent.

* * *

The battle was not going nearly so smoothly for Shikaku, as he was facing two of the more experienced Uchiha. Both of his opponents were staying in the open and keeping their distance, preventing him from using any of his shadow-based jutsu. They were also keeping him on his toes as they tossed low-powered but highly accurate bursts of flame all around him, steering him away from any shadows.

He responded by flinging kunai at them, but the projectiles were avoided as the Uchiha easily tracked the weapons and moved around them. He considered attempting jutsu of his own, but knew it would just be a waste of chakra under these circumstances.

Shikaku cursed when he noticed a third Uchiha approaching, apparently intending to support the other two. He had successfully kept two Uchiha occupied with minimal effort, but a third would alter the odds too heavily against him. He prepared to break away from the fight to gain some ground and potentially lure the Uchiha into a trap, or at least link up with reinforcements of his own, but suddenly grinned when the new arrival lashed out and caught one of his attackers on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

The other Uchiha was shocked by this apparent betrayal and let his focus lapse, which Shikaku quickly capitalized on as he blurred forward. Once he was in range, his shadow lanced out and connected with the Uchiha's own, freezing the ninja in place. A quick Strangling Shadow jutsu later, and both of his opponents were neutralized.

"Man these eyes are weird," the new arrival said, rubbing his eyes and blinking rapidly.

"Thanks for the help, Ichi," Shikaku said lazily. "How long have you got left?"

"A minute tops, my chakra is draining like crazy with these eyes active and I can't shut them off."

"Where's your body? I'll take care of this one and link up with you," Shikaku said, looking around. He spotted a few injured that the med-nin were already working on, but what caught his attention were the still forms scattered around, Uchiha and ninja from his own side among them. He had recommended that the Hokage bring only experienced jounin and ANBU on this operation – even with the Uchiha's modest numerical advantage, the skill and experience of Konoha's forces should have ensured that the overall advantage lay with them. The battle was still going in their favor, but that initial wave of genjutsu had wreaked havoc. He should have spent more time emphasizing the need to avoid eye contact. He shook himself and refocused as Inoichi answered.

"Two buildings that way, upper floor. Chouza's keeping watch for me."

"Alright… now," Shikaku said, his shadow already moving.

The possessed Uchiha barely had a moment to blink in confusion before the Strangling Shadow jutsu sent him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Yuugao Uzuki was a relatively new member of ANBU, having only joined the group a little over a year ago. She was actually surprised she had been allowed to participate in such a high-profile mission, but supposed her inclusion was due to the skill of her squad as a whole more than her own individual qualifications.

She was feeling her lack of experience clearly at the moment as she faced off against an older Uchiha jounin. She wanted to retreat, but her partner Raven had taken a kunai to the shoulder and side in the initial attack and was currently bleeding out on the ground behind her. If she left, the Uchiha would no doubt finish him off before pursuing her.

She needed to end this quickly, but had so far been unable to land a single blow against her opponent. She was keeping the Hokage's warning to never look the Uchiha in the eye in mind, but it was distracting her and slowing her reactions as she had to fight her own instincts.

The Uchiha smirked. "ANBU aren't all that impressive these days. Fugaku-sama will have to clear out the trash once he becomes Hokage."

Yuugao growled lowly and stabbed her sword forward, but the Uchiha merely leaned to the side and lashed out with his kunai, scoring a deep gash on her arm. She leapt back to gain distance but the Uchiha followed, a quick fireball forcing her to dodge to the side.

She bit back a curse; now the Uchiha stood between her and Raven. If she retreated any further, she would be unable to stop the Uchiha if he tried to attack her downed partner. She threw herself forward with a yell, blade flashing through the air.

The Uchiha lazily blocked all her strikes with a single kunai, the three tomoe in his eyes spinning. He began pressing forward again, forcing her back on the defensive as his strikes slowly but inexorably moving her blade out of position. A few more exchanges and she would be unable to block his attack in time.

"You aren't all that bad, I suppose, but you are nothing compared to-"

He suddenly let out a cry of pain and lurched forward. Yuugao didn't hesitate as her blade lashed out, first cutting through the arm holding the kunai and then snapping upwards, slicing straight through the Uchiha's throat. His eyes widened in disbelief before he collapsed.

Yuugao stared at his prone form for a long moment, panting.

"Bastard should... shut up...," she heard. Her head snapped towards Raven who was lying on the ground, one arm extended in a throwing motion. She let out a choked laugh before dashing to his side, hands glowing green.

"Good work... Cat...," Raven said softly, before he swallowed the blood pill that Yuugao shoved into his mouth. His color slowly began to improve as the pill did its work and replenished some of the blood he had lost.

"Thanks for the assist, Raven. I wouldn't have lasted much longer," Yuugao smiled, slowly calming down as she got his bleeding under control.

"Get me... healed up... and I'll call it... even. No... wait... you have to... go on a... date... with me," Raven panted out.

Yuugao barked a laugh. "We'll see," she said.

* * *

Fugaku snarled as he failed to hit the Hokage yet again. He and two of his followers were coordinating their attacks against the Hokage, sending waves of fire flying through the air and spikes of earth stabbing up from the ground, and all they had managed to do was singe his robes. The old fool was surprisingly agile and even with his eyes telling him exactly how the Hokage would move, Fugaku was unable to trap him long enough to land a solid blow.

They _had_ managed to separate the Hokage from the ANBU Commander however, with the other two Uchiha running interference to prevent Dragon from assisting the Hokage. Fugaku expected Sarutobi to worry about his isolation, but the old man just had a slight look of pity on his face as he nimbly dodged the various attacks.

The Hokage began speaking, his tone lecturing even as he continued to dodge. There was little evidence of his exertion, merely a minor pause as he drew in a breath every now and then. The Hokage's nonchalance only served to infuriate Fugaku even further.

"The sharingan is widely considered to be one of the most powerful bloodlines in the world. It's abilities are nearly unique, and completely impossible to replicate outside of other bloodlines – Konoha is often considered very fortunate to have two doujutsu bloodlines among her ranks. Unfortunately, the sharingan has many flaws, not the least of which is the arrogance it instills in those who possess it," the Hokage said.

"Shut up, you old bastard!" Fugaku snapped. He studied the ghostly image that showed him the path the Hokage would take carefully, but the stream of fire that lanced out at the Hokage merely singed his robes when it should have cut right through the old man's chest.

"The flaws innate in the sharingan are as follows; first, even though the user can predict where the target will move, that does not mean they have the ability to hit their target. If the user lacks the speed or accuracy necessary, they gain little to no benefit from the prediction. In addition, skilled and experienced opponents with a high degree of chakra control can subtly manipulate their own chakra emissions to create false images," the Hokage continued.

Fugaku paled as the Hokage's image suddenly showed him dodging simultaneously in three different directions, while shortly thereafter the actual Hokage dodged in a fourth. That old bastard had been throwing off the sharingan's predictions the entire time!

The Hokage smirked mockingly, riling Fugaku even further. "Second, the genjutsu capabilities of the sharingan require direct eye contact with the subject. Simply not looking the user in the eye will protect the opponent."

Fugaku already knew that the Hokage had been avoiding eye contact since before the battle began, but the Hokage's lecturing tone still drove another barb home. He redoubled his efforts, closing the distance and pumping chakra throughout his body to speed his movements. Maintaining the sharingan throughout the battle coupled with the numerous ninjutsu he had launched at the Hokage was beginning to take its toll, and the Hokage had yet to retaliate in any fashion. He needed to end this soon before he completely exhausted himself.

The Hokage suddenly shifted directions and closed with Fugaku even as the false images showed him dodging away. Fugaku attempted to adjust his movements to match, but the Hokage was only inches away. Even as his eyes widened he felt several blows land on his torso, each carrying the force of a sledgehammer, and he was flung backwards to land roughly on the ground. He recovered quickly and leapt to his feet as Sarutobi focused on dodging the attacks of the two other Uchiha as they attempted to capitalize on the Hokage's distraction. Fugaku smirked as he evaluated his condition; the blows had hurt, but they had done no lasting damage.

"Third, if the opponent closes in and attacks at extremely close range, they can hide the chakra emissions and movements of their limbs from the sight of the sharingan, rendering it useless. Though you are apparently unaware of the history, this is why the famed Interceptor style of the Uchiha focuses on keeping the opponent's movements restricted and maintaining a suitable distance."

Forcing himself to ignore the false images the Hokage was projecting, Fugaku was finally able to spot an opening in the Hokage's guard. He smirked cruelly as he rushed forward.

Fugaku flung a handful of kunai that finally forced the Hokage to dodge in the direction he wanted, and pulled two more from his weapons pouch. As his followers turned the ground beneath the Hokage's feet to mud and launched another earth spike that nearly impaled the Hokage, he slipped around the attack and thrust the kunai forward. His smirk grew into a full-blown grin as he felt the blade sink into the old man's stomach and heard his gasp of pain. He raised the second blade, ready to sink it into the Hokage's chest and end this battle once and for all, when the Hokage's grimace of pain suddenly turned into a cruel smirk of his own.

"Four," he coughed, and burst into smoke that obscured the Uchiha's vision.

Fugaku heard two sharp cracks even as he leapt away, trying to gain distance. He hadn't even cleared the smoke cloud when a staff struck his leg, shattering bone and causing him to spin in midair. The pain barely had time to register before the staff thrust forward and caught him in the chest, shattering ribs and slamming him into the ground. Two more swift blows shattered his right arm and left collarbone, and he could no longer hold back his scream of pain.

The smoke finally cleared, revealing an impossible sight. Sarutobi stood above him, clad in his black battle-gear and staff poised to strike yet again. The Hokage's eyes were harsh and cold, not at all like the grandfatherly persona he normally portrayed.

"Four," he said again, "the sharingan is completely useless without a line-of-sight to the opponent. Thus, the single most effective tactic in battling an Uchiha is to never let them see you in the first place."

"That's… impossible," Fugaku choked out. "Burned… coat…."

"You may be powerful, Fugaku, but you never learned not to rely solely on your eyes. You are correct that a kage bunshin will dispel shortly after it sustains any damage, and that includes the clothing as it is part of the construct. I simply removed my real coat and had my clone wear it, and that was all it took to deceive you," the Hokage said, a look of pity on his face. "And now, it is time to end this farce. You have gone too far, Fugaku, and I fear your clan will pay the price of your madness."

Fugaku laughed at the Hokage, a choking, pained sound full of derision. He managed to conquer his pain long enough to gasp out, "Fine… arrest me. Put me on trial. I will still win in the end, old fool."

The Hokage shook his head grimly. "There will be no trial, Fugaku. You had your chance, and threw it away. You will not get another."

A sudden look of panic crossed Fugaku's face, before it turned to derision once again. "You couldn't kill your monster of a student, what makes you think you can kill me?"

"And that is where you and I differ, Fugaku. I learn from my mistakes," the Hokage said, and thrust the staff down.

* * *

The fighting had already ended by the time the Hokage returned to the square in front of the clan head's house. The ANBU Commander accompanied him, having dispatched the other two Uchiha with only a minor injury to show for it. The Hokage had donned his ceremonial coat and hat once again, ignoring the scorch marks and holes for the time being.

Shikaku, as Jounin Commander, was coordinating the clean up when Sarutobi arrived.

"Report," the Hokage ordered.

Shikaku waved a lazy hand, motioning to the activity around them. "We have gained full control of the Uchiha District," he began. "There are nine Uchiha reported dead so far-"

"You can add three to that total, including Fugaku," the Hokage interrupted.

"And two more," added Dragon.

Shikaku grimaced, but nodded. "Fourteen deaths so far. Shizune-sama and her team are dealing with the injuries, and there are several in critical condition at this point. Our own forces took a hit, especially during that initial attack, with six deaths and another eleven that will need to undergo serious treatment."

The Hokage bowed his head. It was always a sad day when a Konoha ninja died, and to have lost twenty ninja with several more that may die before the day ended was a terrible blow. That the deaths were the result of Konoha ninja fighting each other made it a tragedy, as bad in its own way as the tailed beast's attack had been.

"What of the captured Uchiha?" he finally asked.

Shikaku sighed. "That's even more troublesome. Once the battle began mission parameters dictated that all Uchiha be treated as potential hostiles as long as they remained within the battle zone. Once the bloodshed started the Aburame and Hyuuga in particular got a little overzealous, and we ended up capturing, as of last reports, eighty-seven Uchiha," he grumbled.

The Hokage quickly recalled the reports on the Uchiha district from the planning session. "That's…."

"Basically every Uchiha in the district, yeah," Shikaku continued. "It's troublesome, but at this point I'm forced to recommend that we take _all_ Uchiha into custody while we sort this out. Some of the clan heads, particularly Hiashi and Tsume, were not at all pleased with how many Uchiha were willing to support Fugaku – Fugaku's little speech did its job too well. This is rapidly heading towards our worst case scenario," he finished.

Dragon spoke up next. "I concur with Shikaku-san's analysis, Hokage-sama. I can have ANBU ready to move in ten minutes; just give the word."

The Hokage sighed, and slipped his hat down so that it obscured his face as he thought. Shikaku and Dragon waited respectfully as Sarutobi considered his next move. After a few seconds, he raised the hat back up and nodded firmly.

"Shikaku, I want you to personally find Mikoto and Sasuke and escort them to my office – she should be in a park nearby. Dragon, all other Uchiha are to be immediately detained, and I want squads dispatched to meet all Uchiha currently away on missions and escort them back to Konoha effective immediately; I will supply replacement teams as needed. And Dragon, I want you to handle Itachi personally to make sure nothing goes wrong; Itachi may be the best chance we have to prevent the complete loss of the clan."

Shikaku bowed lazily then vanished in a shunshin to carry out his orders. Dragon bowed sharply, then began rounding up ANBU.

The Hokage observed the scene around him for a long moment. From his position he could see several ninja lying unmoving on the ground, small pools of blood surrounding them. Shizune was currently working desperately to save an injured Nara who had been caught by one of the Uchiha's fire techniques; even if he survived, the scars would likely remain with him for the rest of his life.

There was another med-nin tending to an Uchiha who had taken a stab wound to his chest while a Hyuuga hovered nearby, warily watching the nearly comatose Uchiha for any sign of aggression. Even from this distance the Hokage could see the obvious reluctance with which the med-nin was helping the injured Uchiha. The Hokage feared the ill will towards the Uchiha clan, even those who had not taken part in this battle, would only get worse from here. Konoha could not afford to lose even more ninja, but the situation looked grim at the moment.

"Damn you, Fugaku," the Hokage cursed again.


	12. Shaking The Tree

-November 17th, 339 NE-

-10:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

The remaining clan heads had gathered in the Hokage's office to discuss the aftermath of the "Uchiha Rebellion", as they were already calling it. Their faces ranged from solemn to angry, but they kept themselves civil for the moment.

Mikoto Uchiha was not present; even though in the wake of Fugaku's death she was technically the head of the Uchiha clan, the Hokage had decided it would be better if she remained out of sight for the moment. She and Sasuke were currently staying with the Aburame clan, as Shibi had volunteered to give them shelter until their home was habitable once again. Mikoto had gratefully accepted, knowing that Shibi would do everything in his power to keep them safe from any hotheaded ninja who might seek to take revenge on her or her son for her husband's actions.

The ANBU Commander was also not present, as he had already left on his mission to retrieve Itachi Uchiha. It would be several days before he returned with his charge in tow, and the situation would hopefully have calmed considerably by then.

Once Hiashi arrived, his normally stoic face particularly harsh this evening, the Hokage began the meeting.

"Let us begin with the final death toll. Shikaku."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Shizune-sama has reported that all injured ninja have either succumbed to their wounds or begun their recovery, so the final toll stands thus:

"From our forces: two ANBU- and five jounin-level ninja dead; of our eleven injured, six will be in long-term rehabilitation, three in short-term rehabilitation, and the remaining two are expected to return to duty within the week.

"From the Uchiha: ten jounin- and fourteen chuunin-level ninja dead; of the twenty-seven injured, nineteen will be in long-term rehabilitation, five in short-term rehabilitation, and three will never recover sufficiently to resume their duties – all three of those had their chakra networks destroyed by Jyuuken attacks," he added, giving Hiashi lazy glance. The Hyuuga clan head's expression did not change.

The Hokage nodded grimly. "What of the remaining Uchiha?" he asked.

Shrugging slightly, Shikaku resumed his summary. "There are currently seven Uchiha in the field, five chuunin and two jounin. Teams have already been dispatched to escort those Uchiha back to Konoha. All other Uchiha have been accounted for and are currently in custody, with the exception of Mikoto and Sasuke, who are under the protection of the Aburame clan."

"Where does that leave the police force?" Inoichi asked curiously.

"In bad shape," Shikaku replied. "While the Uchiha represented only forty percent of the total force, that forty percent made up ninety percent of the leadership, obviously including the Chief. As it stands the police force will be unable to function come tomorrow."

Inoichi grimaced. The police force didn't do much in the way of ninja work, but they were vital to keeping the village running smoothly. Every ninja that had to do police work was a ninja that wasn't running missions, and thus not bringing in income. It wasn't an issue when the Uchiha were running the police, but civilians alone wouldn't be able to handle some of the problems than can come up inside a ninja village. Drunk or unruly ninja are still ninja.

"Chouza, Tsume," the Hokage called out. "I want you to pick out several members from your clans and take temporary control of the police force. We'll need to work out a permanent solution, but for now focus on keeping the force running. Let me know if you need additional help."

Tsume and Chouza nodded. Hiashi spoke up next. "I can also volunteer some ninja from the Branch House, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage sighed internally – Hiashi was already angling to replace the Uchiha as the internal police force. Sarutobi couldn't really blame him, but that could ultimately lead to a repeat of the current situation down the line. No, he had already eliminated the idea of assigning a single clan control of the police. Still, he nodded in acceptance for the time being.

"Thank you, Hiashi. With that problem dealt with for the moment, I want to focus on the Uchiha clan itself. The Kurama are calling for blood – between the attempted assassination of their genin and the rebellion of the Uchiha, they want the entire clan locked away. Konoha can't afford to lose that many active shinobi, however, so we need another solution.

"Inoichi, I want your clan working around the clock to sort out the innocent members of the clan; I want a list on my desk as soon as possible detailing which members of the clan are still loyal. I also want to know any laws they've broken, any secrets they're keeping, everything. For the time being, any Uchiha released had better be a damn saint, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Hiashi, I want your clan working with ANBU to sweep the Uchiha District. All seals should be deactivated, all documents seized, all weapons caches cleared out. Keep a record of who owns what. Any Uchiha proven innocent will have their assets returned, but all other assets will be taken as fines and reparations."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his chair. "Alright, next is the Council. The Kurama have also petitioned to strip the Uchiha of their seat on the Council, and I'm inclined to agree. The problem will be the civilians..."

"Actually, Hokage-sama," Shikaku interrupted, "I might have an idea for that."

"I'm listening."

"Well, the laws concerning the Council state that all vacant seats must be filled before any votes not directly related to those seats can be taken, unless there exists a state of emergency. The last such emergency was the aftermath of the tailed beast's attack. Under those circumstances, all vacant seats were assumed to vote with the Hokage, essentially granting you those extra votes for a limited time."

"That's true, but even if Mikoto doesn't attend the meeting, the only vacant seat is the Uchiha..." Chouza interjected.

Shikaku smirked, his eyes dancing with mirth. "That is the only vacant seat _at the moment_... I'm thinking we pull an Uchiha and steal one of Fugaku's techniques. If we..."

* * *

-November 18th, 339 NE-

-8:00 AM-

-Council Chambers-

"Esteemed Councilors, thank you for responding on such short notice. A terrible event has occurred, as devastating in its own way as the tailed beast's attack, and all of Konoha will need to unite to ensure our continued survival and prosperity."

The civilian councilors stirred uneasily, wondering what was going on. They looked to their ninja counterparts, noticing that Fugaku was not present.

"Yesterday afternoon an Uchiha clan member attempted to assassinate a ninja of the Kurama clan. When the attack was thwarted, the ninja eventually confessed that Fugaku Uchiha himself had ordered the attack. When I attempted to take Fugaku into custody, he and several of his clan resisted arrest and attempted to overthrow Konoha's government in retaliation."

The civilians gasped in shock or shouted in disbelief. It took a minute for the Hokage to restore order, but he soon resumed his explanation.

"Many ninja were lost in the battle, and many more are wounded and currently unable to return to duty. This loss of manpower seriously threatens Konoha's stability and safety, and I am thus declaring a state of emergency. As Konoha law dictates, the Council may, with a two-thirds majority, overturn my decision if they feel such a state does not actually exist. Shikaku, please conduct the vote."

As expected, every ninja councilor voted in agreement with the Hokage with the Uchiha seat abstaining. The civilian result was mixed; four voted with the Hokage, six against.

"Very well, the decree stands; Konoha is now in a state of emergency. As Hokage, it is my sworn duty to maintain the stability of Konoha. ANBU."

Ten ANBU suddenly appeared within the chamber, surrounding five civilians, all of whom had voted against the Hokage.

"Councilors, you are hereby arrested for corruption, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit treason. You will be detained by ANBU until such time as a trial can be arranged. As Konoha is currently in a state of emergency, that may take some time. Take them away."

Their protests were swiftly cut off as the ANBU removed them from the room. The five remaining civilian councilors were white-faced, wondering if they would be next. The Hokage turned to face them, his face stern.

"Councilors, you have not committed any crimes of note; I commend you for your honesty and integrity," the Hokage said. The councilors smiled tremulously, but did not feel particularly reassured.

"For my next order of business, I call for a review of the following laws: the law pertaining to permanent Council status for clans; the law pertaining to civilian seats on the council; the law pertaining to which seats may vote on which issues; and the law pertaining to the disposition of the Konoha Police Force. I call for a single vote for all of the above laws – do I have a second?"

Every ninja in the room issued a firm "Seconded."

One of the civilian councilors stood, trembling slightly. Unsurprisingly, it was the only remaining councilor who had voted against him earlier. "H-Hokage-sama, you can't do that. The law requires that all Council seats be filled before a vote can be called."

"You are correct... unless a state of emergency exists. How fortunate that a state of emergency was just declared. In this circumstance, all empty seats vote with the Hokage."

"But- you can't- that's illegal!" shouted the civilian, his shock momentarily overcoming his fear.

The Hokage surged to his feet, slamming his fist upon the table. His already grim face became positively stony, and a small amount of killing intent began to leak into the room. The civilian blanched, and dropped back into his chair.

"Let me speak plainly," he growled. "The civilian seats were added to this Council out of respect for your contributions to the growth and prosperity of Konoha. I understand the rationale, and despite recent events I still agree with it," he said. "However, in the last five years this Council's powers have been consistently twisted and abused until they are nothing more than a mockery of their original purpose. This abuse led directly to Fugaku Uchiha deciding that he and he alone should decide the fate of this village, and if you had had your way he would have succeeded. What I do now is no more illegal than the outdated and shortsighted process that would have seen a madman elected our next Hokage based on the whims and greed of civilians who should have had no say in the matter to begin with.

"That ends _now._ Be grateful that I am allowing civilians to remain on the Council at all. By the very laws you have so eagerly twisted to suit your own greed and arrogance, I could strip every civilian from the Council and demand any punishment I see fit. So let me tell you what _will_ happen.

"The civilian seats will no longer have any right to vote on a strictly ninja matter, and should there be any doubt it will be the Hokage who decides if the civilians are allowed to vote. The civilian seats will no longer have any vote on ninja law, and they most especially will have no vote on the appointment of the Hokage. The civilian seats will be restricted to dealing with civilian matters, as they should have been from the beginning.

"The practice of voting to appoint temporary seats has proven to be highly susceptible to corruption. Henceforth the Hokage, the ANBU Commander, the Jounin Commander, and _one_ representative from both the ninja and civilian seats shall discuss the matter and appoint a worthy councilor."

The Hokage slowly sank back into his chair, finally letting up on his killing intent. The civilians were staring at him in shock; it had been a very long time since they had seen this side of the Hokage, and several had chosen to forget that it existed at all.

"Now then, I believe I called for a vote. We have much work to do, so let's get on with it, shall we?"

* * *

-November 19th, 339 NE-

-4:30 PM-

-Near Wave Country-

"Hello, Dragon-sama," Itachi said calmly, turning his head slightly to stare into the branches of a tree. The two chuunin who were accompanying him on his mission, an Inuzuka and an Aburame, turned to look at him questioningly.

Dragon dropped out of the tree and landed lightly on the ground. "You've improved even more, I see," the ANBU Commander complimented.

"Thank you, Dragon-sama," Itachi said, his expression not changing in the least. The Inuzuka gaped at the ANBU Commander, while the Aburame's insects began to hum in agitation. The Inuzuka's canine partner growled softly, not pleased that someone had managed to sneak up on him.

"May I ask why you have sought us out?" Itachi asked.

Dragon sighed. "I have come to recall your team to Konoha. Your scouting mission will have to end here, with whatever information you have managed to gather so far. You are to return to Konoha immediately."

"What? Why?" cried out the Inuzuka. "We just found a solid lead on the bandits in the area."

"Because those are your orders, chuunin."

Itachi studied Dragon for a long moment before nodding. "Very well," he said.

The Inuzuka grumbled under his breath, but turned to move in the direction of Konoha.

* * *

-November 21st, 339 NE-

-9:30 AM-

-Konoha Gates-

Itachi noticed immediately that something had changed within Konoha. The guards watching the gate tensed when they saw him and did not relax even while Dragon was explaining the reason for their return. A couple of civilians who caught sight of him glared in a mixture of disgust and poorly disguised fear.

His teammates were directed to return to their homes immediately for a meeting with their clan, but Dragon kept him back and instead escorted him to the Hokage's office. Itachi quickly noticed that even though he could see several police patrols, it was either a Hyuuga, Akimichi, or Inuzuka who was leading them. In fact, he had yet to see a single Uchiha since he entered Konoha. The glares or wary looks he received as he moved through Konoha continued.

Itachi kept his face carefully neutral, but inside he was disgusted. His father's plotting and treasonous activities had finally caught up with him, and it appeared the entire clan would be paying the price. He held no love for his father – the man had never been particularly affectionate to begin with, but after the tailed beast's attack Fugaku had changed, becoming even colder and more distant. He had pushed Itachi harder and harder in training, always ranting about the glorious future of the Uchiha.

He did not resent the training; he understood the utility of power and knew it was always better to be strong rather than weak. No, Itachi resented the way his father looked at him, the way his father spoke to him – as if he were a tool or a weapon to be honed and sharpened. He had become accustomed to such treatment from others, but it hurt more than he had thought possible to have his own father look at him like that.

His mother had treated him as family should, but she had her own problems dealing with Fugaku and did not always have the time or energy to look after Itachi. Even she had begun treating him as if he were an adult rather than her own child, though she could occasionally be affectionate and was always supportive.

It was Sasuke to whom he felt closest. His little brother looked up to him as someone to admire and emulate, and even though he was often kept busy and away from home – another reason to dislike his father – he made sure to spend as much time as possible with Sasuke. There was no fear or wariness, no jealousy or envy, just child-like admiration and happiness. It made Itachi feel… human.

When they finally arrived at the Hokage's Office, Itachi was prepared for anything from revocation of his ninja license to immediate arrest on charges of treason.

"Ah, Dragon, Itachi-kun, glad to see you back safe and sound," the Hokage said pleasantly as they entered the office.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," the ANBU Commander replied as he moved to stand beside the Hokage's desk. Both focused on Itachi.

Itachi shifted slightly, the only outward sign of his unease, then spoke. "Hokage-sama, may I ask why am I here? Am I not to be detained along with the rest of my clan?"

The Hokage sighed, the smile slowly slipping from his face. "No, Itachi-kun, you will not be detained." The Hokage proceeded to quickly summarize what Fugaku had done, how the Uchiha had rebelled, and the actions taken afterward.

"I see… what of my mother and Sasuke?"

"They are currently residing in the Aburame compound. You are welcome to join them when our business here is concluded," the Hokage said.

"What is our business then? I'm sure you did not need to inform me of these events personally, Hokage-sama," Itachi said, his face still expressionless.

"For better or worse, Mikoto is the new clan head. Unfortunately, despite her own innocence in the rebellion she is tainted by the stigma of her marriage to Fugaku, and other ninja and even civilians will see her as at least partly guilty for your father's actions. If the Uchiha are to recover from Fugaku's lunacy, someone other than Mikoto will need to lead the clan. I believe that someone is you," the Hokage stated, his eyes searching.

Itachi closed his eyes for a long moment, assimilating this new information. The Hokage wanted him as a puppet, it seemed, much as his father had. He could already guess the Hokage's plan. Itachi would be recruited into ANBU to "prove his loyalty", and the Hokage would let it slip that Itachi had passed his personal evaluation and could be trusted with such a sensitive position, alleviating the other ninja's concerns. His mother would become a powerless figurehead while he established his own reputation as a loyal ninja, and in a few years he would leave ANBU to assume his duties as the newest clan head of the Uchiha.

He wouldn't have any real power, of course. The Uchiha had been removed from all their positions of power within Konoha, and it would be decades before the clan as a whole was truly trusted again. Itachi himself would be carefully watched by all sides, the Hokage's ninja monitoring him for any signs of rebelliousness while the remaining Uchiha would likely view him as a traitor who sold out the clan for the Hokage's favor. It was an impossible position, thankless and demanding, one that they would never have asked another child to take – but they were more than willing to ask him.

But if he didn't accept… then Sasuke would suffer, either with the rest of the clan or, worse, as the next figurehead appointed to "guide" the Uchiha back into the fold.

Itachi opened his eyes again, staring straight at the Hokage. He wasn't surprised to find that the Hokage's eyes wouldn't quite meet his own.

"What would you have me do?" Itachi asked.

* * *

-August 30th, 340 NE-

-2:00 PM-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Kuushou checked again to make sure no one was nearby to witness his experiments, then focused on the training post sticking out of the ground in front of him. His constant efforts over the past year in merging his youki and the human chakra his body contained had paid off, and he was able to create a stable mixture containing nearly any percentage of youki he desired at a moment's notice. From there he had swiftly mastered the leaf exercise and beyond, soon passing Ino's own progress in chakra control. She had been annoyed and redoubled her own efforts so she could keep up, but her happiness that he had overcome his difficulties with chakra control – thanks to her advice, not Shizune's, she reminded him – was plain to see.

Still, he didn't need any witnesses for this quite yet, so he had sought out an isolated training ground. He had acquired a fire jutsu - a low-powered, simplistic variant of the Uchiha's infamous Grand Fireball technique - and was ready to determine just how much his youki would alter human techniques.

Chakra theory stated that the handsigns helped ninja manipulate their chakra in the right pattern and prepare it for specific techniques, and doubled as a mental focus. Whatever they did for normal humans did not work for Kuushou, perhaps because his youki overwhelmed the chakra in the body and did not allow it to react naturally. Still, he had been able to puzzle out what was supposed to happen and found that he could manipulate his youki in the proper way to mimic the effects of the handsigns.

Or so he thought, anyway. He hadn't yet had the chance to observe for himself, thus his trip to the training grounds.

For his first experiment he decided to use the lowest concentration of youki he could and work his way up from there. A short string of handsigns later and he inhaled deeply before activating the technique and expelling the gathered air in a single burst.

A small fireball flew from his mouth towards the log, but quickly destabilized and fizzled out completely a mere ten feet away.

Kuushou blinked, trying to place the odd sensation he had felt. There was something… shrugging, he shook the odd feeling off and refocused. Perhaps his human chakra was still too weak or he hadn't used enough; it was his very first time using any human technique, after all.

Grinning, he prepared a much more youki-intensive batch of merged energy and began the technique again. If all he needed was more power, this should be more than sufficient.

The fireball he expelled this time was easily ten times the size of the previous, looking more like a strong example of the Grand Fireball technique than what should be its weaker counterpart. His eyes widened in delight and victory as the fire roared towards the training post… and then began churning in midair. His expression faltered; _that_ certainly wasn't what the technique was supposed to do.

"What the…"

Kuushou's eyes widened when streams of fire began pouring out of the fireball and rushing back towards him. Too late he remembered where he had felt that sensation before and figured out what was happening.

"Well… shit," he said, before the fire slammed into his body.

* * *

-August 30th, 340 NE-

-5:00 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

While he had quickly healed the burns and other damage caused by the fire, his clothing was a complete loss, the charred scraps that remained were wholly inadequate to cover him. It had taken him nearly two hours to make it back to the Yamanaka home unseen; he didn't want to explain just why he was running through Konoha naked.

Freshly clothed and bathed, he settled back into the library and started reviewing chakra theory again. He would need to find techniques that did not require chakra to sustain once they were launched. Water sounded good, at least for now – less likely to destroy his clothing and far easier to explain.

Failing that, he could always focus on close-range attacks, although even those would be risky.

* * *

-May 10th, 341 NE-

-Konoha Training Grounds-

Itachi's fist lashed out, catching Naruto in the stomach and driving the air from his lungs. Even as Naruto folded over, the kunai clutched in the younger child's hand drove upward and scored a hit, leaving a long, shallow cut on Itachi's arm. They broke apart, Naruto quickly regaining his breath as he fell back into a ready stance.

Itachi eyed the wound with a nod of approval. "You are getting better. Still, you are too willing to accept damage in exchange for striking the opponent. Even with how quickly you heal, allowing the opponent to strike you at any time could prove disastrous. There is always the possibility their weapons are laced with poison or that they have a technique as dangerous as the Jyuuken in their arsenal. Try again, this time while avoiding the blow."

Naruto nodded silently. Itachi dashed forward again, his fists striking the air around Naruto as they resumed their battle.

These training sessions had begun in part because the Hokage had deemed it useful for Itachi to be seen helping Konoha's "little hero". Itachi was certain the Hokage also fully intended for Naruto to learn from these training sessions, and the boy had. Itachi wondered if this almost impossibly fast progress was what people had seen in his younger days.

Still, Itachi found himself enjoying these sessions on a personal level as well. Naruto did not fear him as the other children did, nor was he awed and humbled by his skill or disturbed by his quiet, calculating demeanor. There was an odd sort of respect between them; two people who would never be even remotely "normal" who had found a kindred spirit.

Itachi reflected on that thought for a moment, absentmindedly deflecting Naruto's attack. Was it that Naruto could see Itachi for all that he was and didn't care? There was something to that, he concluded, but that was not the whole answer.

Even Itachi's mother tried to ignore the fact that he had already grown more powerful than her, choosing to focus on their familial bond instead. It was comforting in some ways, but it felt like he was donning a mask whenever he stepped foot inside her house, like he had to hide part of himself in order to feel welcome.

Sasuke was better in this regard, but the early adulation had slowly but surely turned into a one-sided rivalry following the fall of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had still held out hope that Fugaku would acknowledge him, and the sudden loss of his father had hurt him deeply. Sasuke had eventually turned the pain of that loss into a determination to restore the Uchiha clan's honor, and Itachi's place in Sasuke's life had shifted from role model to measuring stick. It was ironic, Itachi mused; Fugaku really would have been proud of Sasuke now.

Itachi stifled a hiss as the kunai scored a shallow cut along his ribs, instinctively kicking out and landing a solid hit that flung Naruto backwards several feet. He barely managed to alter the direction of the kick so that it didn't crush Naruto's windpipe, instead catching him across the chest. Naruto pulled himself to his feet, grinning widely even as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

That was another oddity. Despite what their relative skill levels should be, Itachi had to consciously stop himself from reacting as if Naruto was a serious threat and striking fatal blows. Several times he had barely stopped himself from snapping Naruto's neck or stabbing a kunai into vital organs. Further, he was certain that Naruto knew what he had been about to do, and the child just smiled that wide grin of his as if he found it all terribly amusing.

"You shouldn't get distracted, ANBU-san," Naruto said mockingly. "It's always the insignificant ones who catch you in the end." Itachi had that odd sense that Naruto was speaking from experience, even though that should be impossible. He knew that Naruto behaved differently in these sessions than he did in his other activities, but statements like that made his instincts scream at him even louder. It disturbed him that after years of observing Naruto he still couldn't pin down why he instinctively knew that Naruto was dangerous.

* * *

-February 13th, 342 NE-

-A Small Tavern in the Land of Water-

"They're trying to keep it quiet for the moment, but some of the Seven Swordsman have gone missing."

Jiraiya groaned. " _Again?_ Kami, what is going on in Kiri?" He shook his head. "Is this like the old Mizukage? They just up and disappeared?"

"No, there was definitely a fight this time, and at least one of them was killed. Kisame Hoshigaki apparently did the deed, from the rumors I heard. He's one of the ones who left, and he took his sword with him."

"Oh, that's gotta hurt."

"Yeah… they've already dispatched several hunter-nin squads after him."

"What's the new Mizukage doing?"

"She's the one who drove him off in the end, apparently. She may have killed or captured another of the defectors… the rumors are all over the place on that. The rumors also can't agree on who lived, who died, and who fled, outside of Kisame."

Jiraiya frowned thoughtfully. It was useful to hear about the unrest in Kiri, but he never liked working with such vague information.

His informant brought up another topic, his new knowledge on Kiri exhausted for the moment. "Hey, did you hear about-"

"Sword and Hammer, Wave, yes, I know."

"Did you hear that they supposedly made off with most of Gato's fortune?"

Jiraiya whistled appreciatively. "That's gotta be… over fifty million ryo."

"More than that, if you believed Gato. However much it is, that's still some serious cash. And speaking of cash…"

Jiraiya snorted then reached into his pouch. Instead of money, however, he pulled out an orange book.

"Is that…"

"Yep, the latest in the series, first edition, hot off the presses, autographed by yours truly. Of course, if you still want your money…"

"No! I mean… such a collector's item should go to those who truly appreciate it. A true fan of your genius, such as myself."

Jiraiya chuckled to himself as he left the tavern. That got 'em every time.

* * *

-July 23rd , 342 NE-

-1:00 AM-

-ANBU Archives-

Itachi flipped to the beginning of Naruto's file again. With his recent promotion to ANBU Captain, he had access to nearly all restricted files, which fortunately for him included the vast majority of the information available on Naruto Uzumaki. He had already read through the entire file four times, learning nothing truly new, but his instincts – those same instincts that insisted Naruto was dangerous – insisted that he held the answer in his hands.

He skimmed through the file again; ANBU HQ at one week old, orphanage at one year, genius intellect, rapid learning, incredible test scores, attempted assassination, moved to Yamanaka household, Kumo incident… other than the details on when and how the tailed beast's chakra had been used, he had already known all of this. What was he missing?

"Captain? You pulling another all-nighter?" Rabbit asked.

Itachi grunted his response, waving off his fellow ANBU distractedly. As the other ninja departed, Itachi dropped the file to the table in disgust. He stood up and began to pace back and forth, his nerves jangling. Kami, he was so close he could taste it, but the answer just refused to come.

Perhaps if he looked at it from a different perspective; instead of beginning with Naruto and explaining the oddities, start with the oddities themselves.

Naruto – no, that clouded the issue, evoked an emotional response – the subject was highly intelligent for a child. The subject was unable to bond with peers for several years, but later easily formed powerful bonds with the children of ninja families. The subject dismisses personal injury as irrelevant. The subject is incredibly focused on learning, absorbs knowledge on any and all topics like a sponge, with a recent focus on the healing arts.

The subject was capable of deliberate murderous intent before the age of four.

Itachi's breathing began to quicken. He was getting closer now, he could feel it. What other oddities did the subject demonstrate? The subject was used as the vessel for sealing a tailed beast, a nine-tailed beast specifically. The tailed beast's chakra is constantly circulating throughout the subject's body. However, that was assumed to be – no, no explanations; just list.

Itachi had stopped moving now, his fists rapidly clenching and unclenching and his body trembling.

The subject has only shown external evidence of the presence of the tailed beast sealed within him on two occasions: once immediately after the sealing, and once during the attempted assassination – but that was because- no! List! His breath was coming in gasps now, his eyes wide. He had unknowingly activated his sharingan, the three tomoe spinning wildly as they stared at nothing.

He didn't even notice Rabbit returning to the room carrying a tray of snacks, intent on doing a small favor for the ANBU Captain. He didn't hear the tray drop to the floor or Rabbit dash out of the room, seeking a med-nin to help the ANBU Captain who appeared to be having some sort of seizure.

Itachi's mind continued to turn. A little more than a week later the subject took similarly life-threatening wounds, but the tailed beast's chakra was not used. This, this needed to be explained. This was an oddity among oddities. Why? Why was the chakra not used? Why a week before but not then? The Hokage and the other ninja had been relieved at the change, of course, but–

And there it was.

His body stilled and his breathing slowed as everything began to fall into place. A look of stunned admiration crossed his face at the sheer beauty of the answer. It was so obvious, so blindingly _obvious_ , that he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before, that _no one_ had seen it before. As he began to laugh – a choked, brittle sound that frightened Rabbit and the med-nin as they entered the room – he realized that his prior ignorance was his own fault; he had forgotten the first lesson he ever learned, the single most important lesson of his entire life.

He turned to look at Rabbit and the med-nin, a wide smile on his face.

"Never trust your eyes," he said, and vanished.


	13. Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself

-July 23rd, 342 NE-

-1:30 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Kuushou sensed Itachi entering the house in the middle of the night. He observed as Itachi moved through the house, impressed despite himself as Itachi effortlessly evaded the traps and seals scattered throughout. Itachi arrived outside his door… and waited. Interesting.

After nearly a minute of no movement, Kuushou pulled himself out of his bed and got dressed. Whatever this was, it would certainly be more useful than pretending to sleep for yet another night.

He pulled open the door, but before he could speak Itachi began signaling him using ANBU code, which Itachi had taught him some time ago with the Hokage's blessing. _Silent. Follow. Discussion needed._

Kuushou raised his eyebrow curiously, but complied. Itachi slipped outside of the house and he followed, easily keeping pace with the older ninja.

A few minutes later, they arrived outside a training area that Kuushou had heard about, but never been to before – Training Area Forty-Four, the "Forest of Death". It certainly seemed worthy of the name; the forest had grown large and untamed, a stark contrast to the other areas around Konoha. The trees loomed above them, and Kuushou could hear the roars and cries of large predators deep within. Itachi leaped over the high fence that surrounded the overgrown forest, not even bothering to slow his pace, and once more Kuushou followed.

They ran through the forest for nearly thirty minutes. Kuushou could sense large animals prowling around them, but they gave the two ninja wide berth. Finally, Itachi stopped in a large clearing and turned to face him.

Itachi's face was unusually open, his expressions far easier to read than they normally were. He was staring at him curiously, his gaze searching, and Kuushou thought there was even a hint of admiration there. His sharingan was activated, but the tomoe were spinning slowly, almost lazily.

Before Kuushou could ask what was going on, Itachi began speaking. His voice was open too, no longer the usual monotone that he addressed the world with. Kuushou had seen hints of Itachi's hidden personality shining through in their training sessions before, but nothing so obvious as this.

"It should have been obvious from the first moment I met you, you know. Your chakra surrounded the body like an aura, pulsing and _alive_ , but I dismissed it. I had been told that your chakra was running through the body and so knew to expect it, even if I hadn't anticipated such… activity," Itachi said, his voice almost wistful.

Kuushou froze. He couldn't be saying…

"Even through our training sessions, there were so many hints, so many clues, if I had just known them for what they were… but my mind had already been tainted, my reasoning twisted and soured by the impressions of other ninja. The Fourth Hokage was a genius, they said. The Death God's seal was perfect, they said. Even Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama agreed – the seal was working as intended," Itachi continued.

Kuushou just listened in horrified fascination even as he measured the distance between them and wondered if he could reach the ANBU Captain before he was cut down and rendered helpless. It would be a shame to kill one of the few humans he had come to respect, but he would not be sent back to Makai now.

"Even if the seal was imperfect, the tailed beasts were just that – beasts. Nearly mindless engines of destruction and hate, incapable of reasoning or thought. We should have known better; in that battle you displayed the ruthless efficiency and discernment of a veteran ninja. Your actions were reasoned, designed to dispatch your enemies with minimal effort and maximum impact.

"And Inoichi… that poor fool. He convinced himself that he understood you, understood your 'problems', and invited you into his own home. He has been your greatest ally in all of this, unwitting as he must be. His theory seemed so perfect, so thorough. It explained everything, and even played on the guilt the Third Hokage must feel. You were hurt, you needed help…," Itachi trailed off, his eyes distant. His focus suddenly snapped back.

"When?" he asked.

Kuushou knew what he was asking and decided to answer truthfully; there was no point in trying to lie now. "Naruto was born October 10th, 334 NE, and he died October 10th, 334 NE," he said.

"From the very beginning," Itachi breathed. He fell silent, his eyes distant again as he contemplated that answer.

Kuushou's senses were working overtime; he had already determined that whatever Itachi was planning to do, he would be doing it alone for the moment. There were no other ninja within miles, though he felt an interesting stir of activity at the very edge of his senses. Several high-level ninja were moving rapidly through Konoha, meeting with other ninja who then joined in the movement. He couldn't identify anyone at this range, but he suspected Itachi had already done something.

He growled, letting his youki bleed into his voice. Itachi snapped out of his daze at the sound, though he did not otherwise react. "Have you already shared your discovery with the other ninja?" Kuushou asked.

"No," Itachi replied immediately. "They would not believe me even if I told them. They have convinced themselves that you are their own 'little hero', and would believe you over myself regardless. It's ironic… I am fully human and innocent of any crime, but I am viewed with mistrust and hatred; while you, the tailed beast responsible for the deaths of so many ninja, are trusted and even loved." He chuckled at his own words, the laugh starting low but quickly building to an hysterical pitch.

"Itachi!" Kuushou barked, not interested in indulging the human's odd sense of humor at the moment. "If you have not told anyone, then why are so many ninja moving through the village?"

Itachi pulled himself together and took several calming breaths before responding. "They are likely after me. I was reading over your file in the Archives when I finally understood the truth, and I reacted… poorly. Another ANBU saw me before I left; they likely believe I have snapped under the pressure of my responsibilities. They will also have discovered that you are missing by this point, another black mark against me," he said, and began to laugh again, but steadied himself without any prompting from Kuushou.

"I see...," Kuushou said, relaxing slightly. Itachi apparently did not intend to slay him at this time, and he could easily "explain" the situation well enough to render himself completely blameless. Assured that he was in control for the moment, he turned his attention more fully to Itachi.

"What finally gave me away? It can't have been something I did recently…," Kuushou prompted.

"It was the Miyazaki incident, actually. You were severely wounded but did not use your chakra to defend yourself, as you had just a week prior. Was the previous instance a test of some sort, to determine how the other ninja would react?"

Kuushou chuckled bitterly. "Yes, it was. So my efforts to avoid suspicion actually gave me away. How… ironic."

Itachi shook his head. "No, not using your chakra worked as intended. I would never have thought twice about it if my instincts didn't already view you as a threat. From the moment I met you I knew _something_ was wrong, and it still took me this long to figure out what it was. I can see the flaws in the beginning now, but Inoichi covered those with his theory and redirected the focus from understanding what had 'happened' to you to 'fixing' you. Now... the deception is nearly perfect," he said, his voice admiring.

"What are you, really?" Itachi asked, openly curious. "You are clearly highly intelligent and capable of both reason and subterfuge. This conflicts with everything the ninja world supposedly 'knows' about the tailed beasts."

Kuushou snorted. "Before I answer that, let me ask a question of my own… why are you not trying to kill me? As you say, I did end up killing many ninja, including some of your clan, I'm sure. I have… misled the entire village for years, and for all you know I could be plotting to murder every man, woman, and child in Konoha."

Itachi nodded slowly. "Yes, you could be… but you are not. Though I do not know what you are, you are close enough to human for communication and understanding, and not everything you have said and done is purely an act. You do not behave as if you are trapped, and your actions are not full of veiled hatred and resentment. I can see the mockery, now, the times when you were laughing at the people of this village, but even that did not extend to everyone. I think you find most of the people of this village irrelevant, but you have focused on the ninja for some reason.

"I think, if you really wanted to, you could free yourself from that body. I can see no benefit to restricting yourself to a child's body – that you have not already left it means there is something to gain – or perhaps something to lose – but the fact that the option is there at all removes a great deal of the pain from your imprisonment. There must be a reason to stay, and I think you are looking for something, something the ninja can help you find. Something like… the other tailed beasts," Itachi concluded.

Kuushou said nothing for a long moment, staring at Itachi. Then a smile slowly spread across his face, widening into a grin, the same grin he used during the training sessions with Itachi. "Amazing, absolutely amazing. This is why I have come to respect you, Itachi. Your mind is...

"You know, even as you have watched me, I have also been watching you. I've seen how you interact with other ninja, how they unconsciously shy away from you whenever you enter a room, how they always watch you warily out of the corner of their eye. It started long before the Uchiha Rebellion, long before they had an excuse. They see you for what you are, even if they can't explain it to themselves. They see you for what I know you to be."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly in anticipation, and he took an unconscious step forward before he stopped himself. He kept his tone carefully controlled as he asked, "And what would that be?"

Kuushou's grin widened even further, impossibly wide, and he flooded youki into his eyes, forcing them to rapidly change as his true nature imposed itself on the human body.

"A hunter. A predator."

His eyes were blood red now, with a black vertical slit acting as the pupil, and his voice deepened even further, resonating throughout the clearing unnaturally.

" **A demon.** "

* * *

-Same Day-

-Earlier, 2:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Inoichi was startled awake as someone began pounding on his door, triggering some of the security seals that protected his home. He rolled out of bed, snagging the weapons that were never far from his person, and dashed out of the room. He quickly checked the other doors in the hallway, confirming that all of them were currently closed and undamaged, before he moved downstairs.

He approached the front door warily, kunai at the ready. Now that he was downstairs he could finally make out the words the person outside was shouting.

"Yamanaka-san! Yamanaka-san! Please, this is urgent!" the voice shouted. It was distorted, meaning ANBU, or at least someone pretending to be one.

"Identification code!" he barked, making no move to open the door.

The voice did not identify itself, instead saying, "Yamanaka-san, please place your home in immediate lock-down. Do not allow anyone short of the Hokage himself entry into the house, especially ANBU, regardless of identification. We have reason to believe that Naruto is in immediate danger."

Inoichi paled, and whipped around to run back up the stairs. He slapped a security seal as he raced by, flooding it with his chakra. Seals began appearing all over the walls, floors, and ceiling, bathing the house in a blue light.

Inoichi ignored all of this as he charged down the hallway, barely remembering to deactivate the seal on Naruto's door before he threw it open. The room was pristine. There was no sign of disturbance and no blood.

It was also empty.

The covers on the bed were thrown back, and Inoichi could see that Naruto's bedclothes were left on top of the bed. His sandals were missing from their usual resting place.

"Damn it!" he roared.

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:15 AM-

-The Forest of Death-

"A demon...?" Itachi repeated. "Is that what you are? Are you saying I am like you, like a tailed beast?"

Kuushou sighed, and pulled his youki back. "Are you literally a demon? No. As you pointed out earlier, you are fully human. But your mind, your temperament, your way of thinking... those are far more demonic than they are human. Now, if we are to hold a meaningful discussion, I suppose I should answer your earlier question.

"Technically, I am a demon, though even among demons I am something rather rare – my kind are known as the Bijuu, and there are but nine of us in all of existence. We are the only demons who could be considered truly immortal, as we have yet to find anything or anyone capable of killing us. Even your vaunted Death God can not achieve that feat."

"But you can be sealed," Itachi said.

Kuushou snarled furiously. "Yes, so I have discovered. We won the right to travel the human realm as we wished long ago, long before humanity gained chakra and began utilizing it. My brethren and I were wandering the human realm to see what humanity had achieved since we last visited when I was attacked and sealed. Your Death God sealed me then as well, but I destroyed that seal immediately."

Itachi nodded, his belief that the tailed be- no, that the demon could free itself should it choose to confirmed. "The Death God claimed you would be banished for one hundred years when the seal failed. If you returned as soon as possible, that would mean the sealing occurred nearly one hundred and eight years ago. Such an event would surely be remembered... oh." Itachi paled considerably as he realized that the event _was_ remembered, very well in fact. "Kami...," he breathed.

"Yes, I was rather amused when I stumbled across that particular piece of history in my studies. The Land of Wind didn't always consist of deserts and wastelands, though even I was surprised by just how much damage I had done. It is rather impressive how accurate the guesses are as to the cause; 'large scale sealing experiment gone horribly wrong' I believe is the favored theory."

"Is that what your full power is capable of?" Itachi asked quietly, his mind grappling with the onslaught of information that changed so many things he thought he knew about the world.

"Child," Kuushou said condescendingly, " _that_ was a side effect. My full power could burn this world to ash and I would not even feel the strain." His voice contained no hint of arrogance or deceit, only absolute certainty.

"Still," he continued, his voice returning to a more conversational tone as if he hadn't just threatened to destroy the world, "that wouldn't be very interesting, now would it? With only eight siblings and millennia to get to know them, truly new events become rather rare. We fight with the Outer Realm every now and then, but even that has gotten boring with time. They've grown weaker over the years and we have only gotten stronger," Kuushou said.

He was actually enjoying talking so openly. It had been a long time since he could truly converse with anyone and Itachi was... actually rather overwhelmed at the moment.

Kuushou sighed. If he was going to recruit Itachi to his side, there was so much more he needed to properly explain, but Itachi was having trouble keeping up with the rapid shifts in his worldview. Kuushou could also sense ninja entering the Forest of Death and moving about in a search pattern; it seemed their time was growing short.

"Itachi," he said, drawing the ninja's attention back from his contemplations. "There is still much you need to know, but ninja have entered the forest searching for us and it won't take long for them to find us. We need to get you safely away and continue to keep suspicion off of me," Kuushou urged.

Itachi frowned. "I never said I would be helping you."

Kuushou grinned again. "Really? You brought me all the way out here because you intended to expose me? Are you going to bury this knowledge and continue about your life as if you didn't know? Don't tell me my respect is wasted on someone who will continue to enslave himself to those who hate and revile him. You are better than that, better than this place."

Itachi hesitated, but could not bring himself to refute the statement.

Kuushou smiled when Itachi did not contradict him. "You will not find the answers you need here. You have already tried to be the perfect ninja for Konoha and they hate you for it. When you are free from the burdens of this village, free from their rules and expectations, then you will see the world so much more clearly. You will truly understand who you are, and what it means to be a demon."

Itachi wanted to disagree, but he remembered his mother's pained expression whenever he would talk about his missions, or the challenging look on Sasuke's face that had replaced the brotherly affection that had been so precious to him. He remembered the Hokage's kindly smile that hid his ruthless mind, and the suspicious and wary looks from the other ninja.

"What about my family?" Itachi asked.

"I assume you are only talking about Mikoto and Sasuke, yes? I will do my best to make sure they do not suffer any repercussions from this, but I can make no guarantees. The Uchiha are already quite unpopular, and their most prominent son going rogue is not going to help the situation any. Still, staying will do no good either; you will help them far more by keeping Konoha's attention focused on you as a missing-nin than surrendering yourself to imprisonment or execution."

Itachi nodded slowly as he thought it over. The demon was right; there was nothing for him here, not anymore.

Kuushou grinned again. "Once you have spent some time on the outside, find me again and I will tell you more. Until then, I would certainly appreciate it if you kept an ear out for news of my brethren or their vessels. It has been a very long time since I saw any of them, and I think you can understand the value of family more than most."

Itachi nodded again. Even if he decided not to help the demon in the end, there was no harm in gathering information. He smirked to himself, remembering the demon's own never-ending thirst for knowledge; they were certainly similar in this regard, at least.

"What's your name?" Itachi asked suddenly.

"Kuushou, the Burning Sky," Kuushou replied.

Itachi nodded, committing it to memory. He recalled Kuushou's earlier declaration that he could 'burn the world to ash', and wondered just how he had gotten the name. He didn't voice his question, though.

"How are you going to explain your escape?" Itachi asked instead.

Kuushou smirked. "Who said I got away?"

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:45 AM-

-The Forest of Death-

Inoichi felt terror thrumming through his veins when the Inuzuka who accompanied his group cursed and doubled his speed. The ninja shouted back only one word, but it spurred the other ninja to pick up their pace as well: "Blood." The ninja burst into the clearing, weapons drawn and prepared to fight.

Itachi was nowhere to be seen, but Inoichi's eyes were quickly drawn to Naruto. Nearly a dozen kunai were sticking out of his body, and there were rips and tears in his clothing that showed even more had struck him at some point. His blood was splattered around the clearing here and there, and a large amount was pooled under him. For a long moment Inoichi stared, frozen, fearing that Naruto's rapid healing had been unable to keep up with the onslaught of this night. Then he saw Naruto's chest rise slowly, and realized that Naruto was still breathing, still _alive._

He frantically began flaring chakra even as he registered that his companions had already begun to do so. He vaguely felt the answering flares as the other ninja in the forest began to converge on his position, but his attention was focused on Naruto. He knelt beside his son's body, frantically applying the few medical techniques he had managed to acquire in recent years, grateful that he had done so and hating that he needed to use them. Shizune-sama had also briefed him on the peculiarities of Naruto's chakra, so he knew to simply heal what he could and let Naruto's own body do the rest.

Sure enough, as he began his work Naruto's chakra swirled around his then began to mimic his efforts. He kept working even as med-nin knelt beside him, lending their own chakra and techniques to healing Naruto. He only moved aside when Shizune-sama herself arrived and began to work.

Knowing that he had done all he could to help Naruto, he turned his attention to the clearing. Claw marks dug into the earth throughout the open space, centered on Naruto's current location; the shallow trenches were surrounded by scorched grass, and the dirt appeared almost glassy. Some of the kunai littering the clearing were partially melted, and there were a few that were barely recognizable as anything other than misshapen lumps of metal. It looked as if Naruto had called upon the tailed beast's chakra again, though it did not appear to have helped him much this time.

He spotted other ninja leaving the clearing heading further away from Konoha, presumably following Itachi's trail. Inoichi had pitied the young man before this, but now he wanted nothing more than to stab his own kunai into the bastard's emotionless eyes. Whatever insanity had taken Itachi, Naruto did not deserve to be attacked and nearly killed yet again. Kami, this was the third time, and he wasn't even eight years old. There were full jounin who hadn't come this close to death so many times – of course, that was because everyone else would likely have died the first time.

Inoichi cursed again when he thought of Ino waiting at home. She had not reacted well to learning that Naruto was in danger yet again; she had a haunted look in her eyes that Inoichi had only seen after some of her worst nightmares, the ones where Naruto didn't survive the incident.

Yes, if Inoichi ever saw Itachi again, only one of them would be walking away. No one hurt his family and got away with it. No one.

* * *

-Same Day-

-9:15 AM-

-Konoha General Hospital-

Kuushou waited until well into the morning before he "woke up" this time, reminding himself that the damage had appeared much more extensive than his previous wounds and that he should have a harder time recovering from it. He moved carefully so as not to disturb Ino, who was currently curled up against his side holding onto his arm with a death grip.

Once he was sitting in a more comfortable position, he gazed down at his "older sister" with a fond expression. He let out a small chuckle; he still didn't understand how that moniker had stuck. His body was nearly eight months older than Ino, so technically she should be his younger sister, not older. Even the other ninja children and their families, despite knowing that he celebrated his birthdays before Ino, referred to him as the younger sibling. Ah well. It was a human thing, he supposed, and it didn't really matter.

Kuushou cast his thoughts back to the events of last night, considering what they could mean long-term. The situation was beginning to change more firmly in his favor; his human chakra control was steadily improving, his network of contacts within the village was expanding and his reputation growing, he had companions who would support him in or out of battle, and he now had his second potential recruit.

He turned to Ino again, his first potential recruit. Itachi had always been a likely candidate due to his way of thinking and isolation within the village, even if the actual event had happened largely at the spur of the moment. Ino on the other hand would require careful grooming and conditioning. She was too heavily invested in Naruto as a human being to react well to his true nature, though that same bond would likely make it quite simple to convince her to fully join his side.

No, the trick would be revealing the entire truth to her without damaging her mind; and it _would_ require the full truth, he knew. Living in a ninja village had revealed a truth of human relations that he had taken to heart – secrets never last. If he continued to deceive her, eventually she would learn of his true nature at a time and place outside of his control, and that could prove disastrous. He would have to consider his approach very carefully.

Ino stirred, her grip tightening to an almost painful level before slowly relaxing. She blinked her eyes open and raised one hand to rub her eyes.

"Wan' seep," she mumbled tiredly, lowering her head again. She blinked rapidly, the shot upright with a gasp. "Naruto!"

"Morning, Nee-chan," Kuushou said, smiling at her. He let out a small grunt as she flung herself onto him, squeezing him tightly as a few tears spilled out.

"Don't you dare disappear like that again, little brother," she said sternly. The effect was spoiled somewhat as she sniffled.

"Sorry, Nee-chan, I didn't mean to get hurt again." It wasn't entirely a lie, he consoled himself; he certainly hadn't expected Itachi to have uncovered his secret when he first left the house.

The sound of a throat clearing pulled their attention to the foot of the bed, where they saw Shizune standing, a small grin on her face. "If you two are done, I would like to examine Naruto-kun again now that he's awake."

Ino stuck out her tongue at Shizune, but slowly detached herself from Naruto to allow the med-nin to do her work. Shizune just shook her head before activating her medical jutsu. A minute later she pronounced Naruto completely healed, as expected.

"Dragon-san would like to talk with you about what happened last night, Naruto-kun. You don't have to," she added quickly, "but it could help find It- the person who did this to you."

Kuushou just smiled at her. "That's alright, Shizune-nee-chan. I can talk to him whenever."

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:00 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Kami, it just never ends, does it?" Sarutobi grumbled to himself.

Dragon shifted uncomfortably. "Hokage-sama, I-"

"Save it, Dragon. It's as much my fault as anyone's. Inoichi warned us we were asking too much of the boy, though I'm sure even he didn't expect something like this to happen."

"I... yes, Hokage-sama."

"What have you found out?"

"Naruto's report confirms our findings from last night. Itachi used their relationship to lure him to an isolated area, then attempted to kill him for reasons unknown. Naruto tried to use his 'special chakra,' as he calls it, to defend himself, but was unable to keep up with Itachi. He fell unconscious, at which point Itachi presumably withdrew to avoid pursuit. I do not know why he did not confirm his kill; I can only guess that his state of mind was so disturbed that he believed he had truly killed Naruto. He almost managed to anyway."

"Have the trackers found anything?"

"They followed his trail out of the Forest of Death beyond the borders of Konoha, at which point it splits into five trails, all moving at a fast pace. They believe he used clones to place false trails, using pieces of real clothing to make sure the scent did not fade too quickly. Though I hate to say it, Itachi is- _was_ one of the best ninja Konoha had – I'm not sure even I could follow him at this point."

The Hokage sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Call off the pursuit. There's no point in wasting their time anymore," the Hokage said firmly. "Itachi will be placed in the Bingo Book as an S-rank fugitive with a capture-on-sight order. I don't care about the extra bounty that will demand; I will have answers for his actions, one way or another."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

"Has anyone figured out what Itachi meant by 'never trust your eyes'?" the Hokage asked.

"No, Hokage-sama. Even if it is a standard shinobi saying, it seems strange for an Uchiha to use it. No one has been able to determine if there was some trigger or hidden meaning, or if it was simply another sign of his madness. Rabbit reported that Itachi appeared to be having a seizure shortly before he left ANBU HQ, so perhaps there is even some physical trauma causing his erratic behavior."

The Hokage nodded quietly, mentally filing away the information he had for later contemplation.

"Now, summon Mikoto. She's going to need to know about this; better she find out from me than someone else."

* * *

-Same Day-

-6:00 PM-

-Somewhere South of Konoha-

Itachi stepped out of the alleyway and blended into the crowd leaving the market district of this small town. Most of the shops were closing up for the day and the workers were heading home. It had been an easy matter to acquire clothing that would make him seem like just another tired laborer.

He was virtually unrecognizable as a ninja, much less Itachi Uchiha. He had altered his stance, the way he walked, his facial expression, everything. He had also repressed his chakra as much as possible and made sure to acquire several strong scents that would mask his own unique smell. Coupled with the false trails his clones had created he was confident he was in the clear.

His first goal accomplished he turned his mind to assessing the next step in the mission… and stopped dead in the middle of the street.

He had no orders.

There was no goal.

There were no mission parameters.

He had absolutely no idea what to do.

It had not occurred to him until this very moment just how much his life had been dictated by other people. First his father, then his superior officers, then the Hokage himself. Every move had been carefully plotted and laid out beforehand, his only option how quickly he advanced. He couldn't even remember the last time anyone had asked what he, Itachi Uchiha the human being, wanted to do. It was always Itachi Uchiha the genius ninja, Itachi Uchiha the heir of the Uchiha clan.

When was the last time he had been offered a real choice?

The demon's… no, Kuushou's words echoed through his mind: _"you will see the world so much more clearly. You w_ _ill truly understand who you are…"_

He turned his earlier question to Kuushou back upon himself. What was he, really? Who was Itachi Uchiha? He wasn't a loyal ninja of Konoha – he had left the village behind with hardly a second thought, his only doubts concerning his family, not his duty. He wasn't truly an Uchiha, either, not as his father or the clan would see it – the name meant nothing to him, and he did not feel particularly proud of his eyes or their power.

Was he a friend? He couldn't recall anyone he would miss – the mother and younger brother he had cherished had vanished somewhere years before, their current relationship, or lack thereof, bringing nothing but pain for him – nor did he believe anyone would truly miss him.

Was he a mentor? He had certainly taught Naru- Kuushou much about ninja combat, but his relationship with the demon was nothing like that between a teacher and a student.

Was he a hero? Despite all he had sacrificed for the village, the many missions he had successfully completed to strengthen the village and weaken its enemies, no one would call him such. Most of the other ninja would rest easier knowing he was gone even as they cursed him for abandoning the village. Nor did he feel particularly heroic himself; he had performed his duty because it was expected of him, not because he had wanted to.

Was he a villain, then? Itachi laughed bitterly at the thought. After deserting his post and attempting to "kill" Kuushou, Konoha would almost certainly place him in the Bingo Book. Many would likely revile him for attempting to kill Konoha's "little hero," but that was hardly new. They had always found some reason to revile him, either because he was "creepy" and "emotionless" – never mind that his behavior was exactly what was supposedly expected of the "perfect ninja" – or because he was an Uchiha. This would simply be the latest justification for what they had always felt.

He realized that he was drawing attention and resumed walking, quickly moving out of sight. He may not have any answers at the moment, but Kuushou had been right about one thing, and he felt a swell of gratitude towards the demon as he considered the thought.

He was free.


	14. Want To Know A Secret?

-August 5th, 342 NE-

-11:00 AM-

-Konoha Hospital-

"Very good, Naruto-kun. Your control has really been improving lately. At this rate you'll have no trouble with medical techniques when you graduate," Shizune said. "For your next exercise, I-"

"Shizune-nee-chan," Naruto interrupted, "why do I have to wait? I'll be graduating in a few months anyway and the Hokage has already approved me to study medical techniques... why can't I just start now?"

Shizune grimaced. She had really been hoping someone else would tell Naruto so that she wouldn't have to break the news herself.

"About that… didn't you hear about the new law the Hokage passed?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "No…," he said slowly. "What law?"

"Well, after Itachi tried to… kill you, the Hokage decided that Itachi had gone insane due to the pressure of his work and his young age. He made a new law that made the minimum age of graduation twelve years of age, regardless of prior training or merit, and that no one can join the ninja forces before they are twelve years old. So you can't graduate early," Shizune said apologetically. "I know you really wanted to, and you deserve to, but at least…," she started to say, but trailed off as she looked at Naruto.

Naruto's fists were clenched, and his entire body was shaking. Shizune stepped back swiftly when she noticed tendrils of red chakra curling off of his body. She was about to call for help when Naruto took a shaky breath and slowly calmed down, the red tendrils receding.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you alright? What just-"

"Does he hate me?" Naruto asked suddenly, his voice clipped and angry. "Does he really think I will go insane like Itachi did? Does he think I'll hurt people? Why would he _do_ this to me?"

Shizune approached slowly and pulled Naruto into a hug. His body kept shaking every now and then, but he didn't say anything further.

She could have defended the Hokage, of course, explained his reasoning and pointed out that the law applied to all children equally, not just Naruto himself. The other ninja children were also advanced for their ages, and would likely manage to graduate two or three years early, even if they weren't quite at Naruto's level.

She understood Naruto's anger, at least to an extent. He had spent a lot of time discussing his early graduation with Ino and the other children, and they had eventually decided that Naruto should graduate as soon as possible, and the other kids would try to catch up to him. Ino in particular was pushing herself very hard, perhaps even too hard, in order to graduate along with Naruto.

Even if they didn't manage though, they had sworn that they would find a way to become teammates in the future. It had been quite touching when the adults heard about it, and they had all begun pulling strings in the background to help make that happen.

Then Itachi had gone rogue and the Hokage's new law had gone into effect, and all their effort and heartache and sacrifice had been rendered essentially meaningless with the stroke of a pen.

Shizune didn't feel like defending the Hokage, even if in this case Sarutobi believed he was helping Naruto and the other children. She would be perfectly happy if Naruto and Sarutobi had a severe falling out over this, although she didn't think it would go that far.

No, she decided to unleash Naruto on the Hokage while he was primed and ready to blow.

"You could always ask him yourself, you know…," Shizune said, a small smirk on her face.

* * *

-Same Day-

-11:30 AM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Hokage-sama… Naruto would like to see you. H-He's, um-," his secretary started to say over the communication seal.

"Oh, that's fine. Send him right on in. We might even make a lunch of it," the Hokage said cheerfully. It was unusual for Naruto to visit him while he was at work, but a welcome distraction whenever it happened.

"Al-alright, Hokage-sama," his secretary replied uncertainly.

The seals on the doorway flashed blue as they deactivated, and the door was pushed open. As it closed and he heard footsteps approaching, Sarutobi looked up, a smile on his face. "Ah, Naruto-kun, it's good to…," he trailed off, his smile fading quickly as he took in his surrogate grandson's appearance.

Naruto stood before his desk, hands clenched and a thunderous expression on his face. The marks on his cheeks, which had slowly been growing more and more prominent over the years, looked particularly dark against his flushed face. Before Sarutobi could gather his wits or even begin to figure out what was going on, Naruto began speaking, his voice a low hiss.

"Why would you do this to me? Do you hate me, is that it? Was this all some joke to get my hopes up, just so you could crush them personally and laugh at my pain? Is this the 'special arrangement' you talked about so long ago?"

"Wha-"

"What am I supposed to do now? Continue wasting my time learning nothing, letting my skills fade away until I'm just another faceless ninja? Is that what you want? Or do you think I'm just like Itachi? Do you think I'm going to snap and start killing random people? Do you think I'll kill Ino, is that it? Am I so untrustworthy? _Why?"_

If any of his ninja had dared storm into his office and rant like this, they would have quickly found themselves regretting their temper – but when his surrogate grandson stormed in, his expression moving between enraged and betrayed, Sarutobi found himself at a loss. Now that Naruto appeared to be finished, however, he finally got a chance to speak.

"Naruto-kun, what is going on? Why would you think I hate you? What do you think I've done?" Sarutobi asked, bewildered.

"That law… no one under the age of twelve can graduate and become a ninja," Naruto hissed.

Sarutobi finally began to understand why Naruto was so upset. "Naruto-kun, that law wasn't aimed at you, and it wasn't just because of Itachi. A lot of children have been forced into the ninja world far too young, and even if they don't snap like Itachi did they still bear the scars of that – Itachi was simply the last straw. That law should have been made many years ago," Sarutobi patiently explained.

"But what am _I_ supposed to do?" Naruto cried out. "I've only got two months before I would have graduated, and I can't learn anything more from the Academy. That's four years of wasted time, and Ino-nee-chan and the others will soon be facing the same problem.

"I had already planned to start learning from Shizune-nee-chan the moment I graduated, and now I can't. So many other techniques and skills require a ninja license before you can learn them, and you just blocked all of those off until we're twelve," Naruto said firmly.

Sarutobi sat back in his chair. "Ah, I see. You aren't concerned so much about the graduation as you are the training, is that correct?"

Naruto hesitated, some of the heightened emotion fading from his face. "Well… yeah."

"In that case, I think we can work something out. I won't change the graduation age for anyone, but the Hokage can waive certain requirements in special circumstances, including rank requirements. There have been cases in the past where it was necessary for one reason or another to disclose techniques or information to those who didn't otherwise have the qualifications to acquire them. Would something like that satisfy you?" the Hokage offered.

Naruto appeared to consider that for a minute. "What would that mean, exactly?" he asked finally.

Sarutobi smiled, pleased that Naruto had calmed down and was actually thinking about things rationally now. "Well, with that waiver you would have the right to request training in any area available to a genin ninja, despite not being one yourself: techniques of C-rank or below; specialized taijutsu styles; more advanced stealth, tracking, and trapping; the sealing arts-"

Naruto's head snapped up at that last one. "Seals? Really? I've never been able to find anything about them, even though they seem so useful."

Sarutobi nodded sagely, "They are incredibly useful, but also quite dangerous and potentially unstable. I'm sure you've come across references to the explosion in the Land of Wind that occurred roughly one hundred years ago."

Naruto nodded, an odd expression on his face.

"Well, a lot of people think that's the sort of thing that can happen if you don't take seals seriously, and I agree. Sealing knowledge is carefully controlled and unsupervised experimentation is strictly forbidden until you have proven sufficient mastery of the subject. Konoha is very fortunate to have one of the only three acknowledged seal masters in all of the Elemental Nations, Jiraiya," the Hokage said, pride evident in his voice.

"Anyway, genin can begin studying and reproducing basic seals, but even then they aren't allowed to move further without a more experienced sealing specialist guiding them."

Naruto nodded, a speculative look on his face. "That sounds… good, but what happens if I learn all of that before I graduate? There have been plenty of ninja who went from genin to chuunin in less than four years."

"They were _promoted_ , yes, but they hardly mastered everything available to a genin. Even you would have trouble doing that, I think. Still, should that come to pass we can reevaluate your situation then."

Naruto nodded to himself, and fell silent as he contemplated the Hokage's words. Sarutobi allowed him to think for a few minutes, then prompted him for a response. "Naruto-kun, do you think that would solve your problem? I understand your concern, but I am offering quite a lot here…," Sarutobi said.

Naruto opened his mouth, then shut it firmly just as quickly. After another few seconds, he nodded to himself. "Ino too. And the others."

"Hmm… I'll need to evaluate their skill levels, but I think that I can agree to that," Sarutobi said finally.

Naruto finally smiled, completely relaxing. "Thank you, Hokage-jii-san!" he said happily.

Sarutobi smiled back, relieved that he had been able to help Naruto and that their relationship seemed fully recovered from this little incident. A bit of paperwork and a few meetings with students was a minor price to pay for that.

Kuushou couldn't stop laughing inside Naruto's body. He had been genuinely pissed at first, but on the way to the Hokage's office he had begun to calm down and see the potential benefits of the situation. All it had taken was a guilt-trip and a betrayed look to get the Hokage to fold, and now he had all the training he could possibly want without having to worry about missions or other ninja duties. Further, he would _finally_ learn something more about seals as well.

Yes, this would work out just fine.

* * *

-September 15th, 342 NE-

-10:00 AM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

"Are you sure you want to start learning the Yamanaka mind techniques, Ino-chan?"

"Yes, Tou-san, I am. The sooner I start learning the better off I'll be, and the more I'll be able to help Naruto. I'm ready; I know all the theory by heart, my chakra control is more than good enough, and my reserves are sufficient as well."

Inoichi sighed, uncertain about what to do. He had been very proud about Ino's interest in training and amazed at her progress once she began applying herself – he had always thought of his daughter as brilliant, but she managed to surprise even him.

Then there was her intense focus, especially after she started attending the Academy. He knew it was very important to Ino to graduate along with Naruto, but she had really worried him with how hard she pushed herself. He actually had Shizune-sama check her over several times in the past year to make sure she wasn't damaging herself or her chakra networks. The check-ups went alright, but he had put his foot down and forbidden Ino from pushing any harder anyway. She had complained, but relented when Naruto stepped in and told her that he didn't want her hurting herself by training too hard. Inoichi was thankful for Naruto's help, but also a little disappointed that Ino valued her brother's opinion more than his own.

She had relented... and shifted her focus onto studying. She had advanced mentally as rapidly as she had physically, and she really was ready to begin learning the Yamanaka clan jutsu, even though Inoichi himself hadn't reached this point until he was already a genin.

If he was honest with himself, however, it wasn't the techniques that concerned him – it was the conversation he would have to have with Ino about why she could never, ever, _ever_ use any of the Yamanaka mind techniques on Naruto. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't take his word for it; she might say the right words, but she would push the boundary and eventually try the technique despite his warnings... and then she would be dead.

He shivered at the thought and almost decided to refuse Ino on the spot, but controlled himself. This discussion was coming sooner or later, and perhaps it was better to get it over and done with. It's not like she would ever turn against her little brother anyway, especially not over something like this.

"Alright, Ino-chan. You can start learning the first technique tomorrow."

She squealed and hugged him, her "professional ninja" personality gone now that she had gotten what she wanted.

"However... we need to have a talk before that. Let's just... step into my office for a minute."

She looked a little confused, but followed along. Once they were settled down into the comfortable chairs with the privacy barrier firmly in place, he cleared his throat and began.

"Now, before I tell you what the secret is, you have to understand that this is a very important secret. I don't mean like an embarrassing secret, I mean an official ninja secret, an S-Rank secret. I can only tell you because the Hokage requires that all Yamanaka capable of using the mind techniques be informed. If you tell _anyone_ that doesn't already know, you will be executed," Inoichi said firmly.

Ino paled, shocked that what she was about to hear was that important.

"If you don't think you can keep this secret, then tell me now and we can call this whole thing off."

Ino looked hesitant for a long moment. "Would I still be able to learn the mind techniques if you didn't tell me?" she asked quietly.

"No," Inoichi replied immediately, his voice firm, almost harsh. He wasn't about to risk losing his little girl because she wasn't properly warned. He'd never forgive himself, and he doubted Naruto would either.

Ino flinched slightly, unaccustomed to seeing her father this serious about anything. She was actually a little scared about this whole thing now; she hadn't expected anything like this when she asked for more training. She wasn't about to stop now, though. She couldn't be on a team with Naruto if she couldn't keep up, and she refused to ask him to slow down for her sake – and so she had to learn more jutsu.

Taking a deep breath, Ino straightened her spine and sat up fully in her chair. Once she felt prepared, she nodded shakily, unable to speak at the moment.

Inoichi sighed, and began to talk. "The secret has to do with the fate of the tailed beast which attacked Konoha eight years ago..."

Once Inoichi had explained the situation and Ino had gotten control of herself again, she asked quietly, "How come Naruto never talked about this? Would he be executed too?"

"He doesn't know."

Ino's disbelieving expression quickly shifted into a stubborn one, one that Inoichi recognized all too well. He _really_ should have seen this coming. "Ino, you can't-"

"How can I not? How could you have _not_ told him after all this time?"

"Ino-chan, please, there are very good reasons that-"

"Like what?" she snapped. That she had just snapped at her own father never even crossed her mind as she began to work herself into a righteous fury. "What could possibly be good enough to keep this from him? If it had been me, would you have kept the truth from me too? I feel bad enough, and it's not even my secret! How would he feel? How _is_ he going to feel, when he finds out? Or did you never intend to tell him at all?"

Inoichi flinched. Ino had hit far too close for comfort, and her words dug into his already guilty conscience. He had asked himself these same questions before, and had no better answers now than he did then.

Inoichi grabbed hold of Ino as she started to march out of the room, probably intending to tell Naruto that very instant.

"Wait, wait," he said. "Don't- I'll-," he started to say, then finally sighed in resignation. At this point the only way he could prevent her from telling Naruto at the first opportunity, consequences be damned, was to either wipe the information from her mind or forbid her from ever talking to Naruto again. Either choice would destroy his relationship with his daughter.

"Just... let me talk to the Hokage, alright?"

"... Fine," Ino relented. "But if he doesn't tell him, I will!"

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:00 PM-

-Hokage's Office-

"Hey Hokage-jii-san, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, Naruto-kun, Inoichi here raised an interesting point that there was certain information you should be made aware of," the Hokage said, sending a glare towards Inoichi.

Inoichi flinched, and was already dreading the required sessions with Gai, but it was either this or watch Ino get executed for telling Naruto the secret. This would also make his daughter happy and relieve his own sense of guilt, though, so he couldn't really bring himself to feel that bad about it. He'd probably have a very different perspective on things once he had begun "training" with Gai, however.

"Oh? What's that, Tou-san?" Naruto said. It had taken Inoichi over a year, but he had finally managed to get Naruto to refer to him as something other than "Yamanaka-san."

"Er, well, the Hokage is going to explain, actually," Inoichi said lamely.

Naruto turned his attention back to the Hokage, cocking his head to the side curiously. His expression didn't change in the slightest as the Hokage explained about the attack and the sealing.

Both Inoichi and Sarutobi felt uneasy at Naruto's lack of reaction. "Naruto-kun, did you understand what I said?" the Hokage asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Hokage-jii-san. It's just... was I not supposed to know? I mean, I know _other_ people weren't supposed to know, but you didn't think I knew?"

Sarutobi's jaw slowly dropped down. "Y-you knew... since when? Who told you?"

"I've known for as long as I can remember," Naruto replied, his head still cocked to the side.

Inoichi's eyes suddenly widened and he groaned in understanding. The Hokage looked at him expectantly.

Inoichi's buried his face in his hands. "Of course... he remembers everything since ANBU HQ," he muttered to himself. He looked back up at Naruto. "It was the 'mask people', wasn't it?" he said out loud, using the term Naruto had initially used for the ANBU in his earliest memories. "That's how you found out."

Naruto just nodded.

Sarutobi's own eyes widened in understanding. "Why did you never say anything?" he asked Naruto.

Naruto shrugged. "No one wanted to talk about it, and there wasn't really anything to say. It was over and done with, and it's not like people treated me badly because of it."

"That's... very mature of you, Naruto-kun. I suppose I should have expected that." He shook himself. "Well, now that we all know that we all know, is there anything else you'd like to ask? About your parents, perhaps?"

Inoichi shot the Hokage a hurt look, but stayed silent.

Naruto shrugged again. "I have parents, the Yamanakas. Why should I care about the people who conceived me when they abandoned me?"

Inoichi's face glowed with pride and happiness, but Sarutobi's face was ashen. "No! They didn't abandon you! Your father died fighting the tailed beast, a hero of Konoha. I'm sure he loved you very much."

"And my mother? Where is she?"

Sarutobi had never hated himself more than at this moment. "She... left," he said, looking away.

"Then she is alive, and left me behind. Thus, abandoned," Naruto said firmly. "If that's all, then I would like to go home now, _Tou-san,"_ Naruto said pointedly, looking at Inoichi. Inoichi nodded slowly, sensing the tension in the air between Naruto and the Hokage. He looked back nervously as he escorted Naruto out of the room, but the Hokage didn't look at them.

"She... that's not...," he mumbled to himself. "I'm so sorry, Kushina."

* * *

-Same Day-

-2:30 PM-

-Yamanaka Residence-

Ino was waiting for them when they got back. She walked straight to Naruto, said "I don't care," and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"So you don't think I'm the tailed beast?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hmph. You're my little brother, and that's all there is to it," Ino said firmly. "Anyone who says otherwise can go f-"

"Ino!" Inoichi interrupted, looking stern, though he was struggling to keep from laughing himself. Now that everyone in the family knew, it was like a weight he didn't even know was there had been lifted from his shoulders. Apparently having to keep the secret from Ino and Naruto had affected him more than he had realized.

"Besides, some stupid tailed beast wouldn't have saved me from that Kumo ninja, it wouldn't have made me feel better when I thought you would hate me, and it certainly wouldn't be smart enough to listen to his beautiful brilliant older sister!" she said, laughing.

Naruto began laughing too, letting out a low chuckle. "No, I suppose 'some stupid tailed beast' wouldn't," he said, grinning. "I'm very happy to hear you say that, Ino-nee-chan."

"See? You know when your sister is right! Which is all the time, of course," she said, grinning.

* * *

-Same Day-

-5:00 PM-

-Shikamaru Nara's Residence-

"So, what did the Hokage call you in for? Did you manage to weasel more concessions out of him this time?" Shikamaru said as he moved his Silver General forward with a firm _clack_. "Please say no, my mom has been pushing me to practice my shadow techniques even more now that I can learn the useful ones."

Naruto snorted. "No, no more waivers," he said as he moved his own piece on the board. "He just wanted to talk to me about something. It didn't take that long... turns out I already knew all about it, so it was really a wasted trip."

"Hmm...," Shikamaru replied thoughtfully. It was unclear if he was thinking about Naruto's reply or the situation on the board. Knowing him, it was both. He grinned suddenly. "Checkmate," he said, moving his piece with another firm _clack._

"Yep... saw that one coming a few moves back, couldn't get out of it. Where does that leave the score again?" Naruto asked, smirking.

"Troublesome... you've still got a three game lead, as if you didn't already know."

"Ah, but I like to hear you say it," Naruto replied. He paused thoughtfully as they reset the board for their next game.

"Hey Shika... want to know a secret?"

* * *

-September 19th, 342 NE-

-4:00 PM-

-Uchiha Training Grounds-

Sasuke stared at the training post, fists clenched. His knuckles were ripped and torn, blood slowly dripping from his hands and dropping to the ground with a small _plop._ He didn't notice.

" _Foolish little brother," Itachi said, poking him in the middle of the forehead with a small smile on his normally expressionless face._

Roughly thirty feet away a training target stood, riddled with kunai. A few had landed outside the painted rings, but most were clustered near the center of the target, and some had landed firmly in the bulls-eye. He didn't care.

" _So you played with the other children today? Did you have fun?" Itachi asked._

" _Nii-san! We weren't playing, we were training!" Sasuke protested._

_Itachi just smiled, his hand moving upward and his index finger already extended._

Sasuke's clothing was torn and rumpled, and his pants were covered with dirt and grass stains. He paid his disheveled state no mind.

" _Fight me, Nii-san!" Sasuke yelled. "I know you fight with Naruto, so why won't you fight me?"_

_Itachi just looked at him with a blank face. He rarely smiled at Sasuke anymore, and never poked him in the forehead like he used to._

" _I do not 'fight' with Naruto. I train him," Itachi said, and turned to walk away._

" _What's the difference?" Sasuke cried out, frustrated._

" _Everything."_

Sasuke had the training ground to himself today, as he had every day since his father's disastrous rebellion. The Uchiha District used to teem with activity, the clan preferring to stick close to each other and trade internally whenever possible. The clan would use their own private training grounds more often than they would the public training grounds around the perimeter of the village.

Always before when he would train there would be at least one other member of his extended family present, often more. Now the clan had dispersed, scattered throughout Konoha. He rarely saw any Uchiha other than his own mother and brother after the rebellion; the others had started shunning his family, though they pretended otherwise.

" _Kaa-san, why does no one visit anymore?" Sasuke asked at breakfast one morning._

_His mother sighed quietly. Her face was haggard and her eyes had dark circles around them, and she rarely smiled now. He missed her smiles._

" _They don't like to be reminded of what your father did," she replied, aimlessly poking at the food on her plate._

" _But it's not our fault!" Sasuke replied indignantly._

" _No, it isn't," she said._

" _But... aren't you the clan head now? Don't they have to listen to you?"_

_His mother just smiled sadly._

That had been before Itachi tried to kill Naruto and became a missing-nin. He had thought the rest of his family had been distant before. He had thought the other people in Konoha had been somewhat reserved before. Now...

Sasuke let out a scream as he began pounding on the training post, blood flying through the air with every blow. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fa-

He was interrupted as someone wrapped their arms around him, pinning his own arms to his sides. He struggled for a moment before he heard his mother's voice sobbing in his ear.

"Please stop, Sasuke-kun. Stop."

He slowly relaxed before he turned around inside his mother's embrace and threw his arms around her neck.

"It's not fair!" he wailed, tears coming to his eyes.

"No honey, it's not. It's never fair. But I'm here, and I won't leave you," she consoled him, rocking him gently. Sobs wracked his body as he held onto his mother tightly. Mikoto was also crying, though she kept her attention focused on Sasuke.

"Why?" he finally asked after he had cried himself to exhaustion.

"I don't know, Sasuke-kun. I don't know," she answered, hugging him tighter.

* * *

-October 21st, 342 NE-

-1:00 PM-

-Uchiha Clan Head's Residence-

"Who is it?" Mikoto called out through the door. No one had tried to attack her or Sasuke yet, but she no longer felt as safe and welcome in the village as she used to. Someone would eventually decide to try, and she didn't plan to make it easy for them.

"Kiku Yamanaka and Yoshino Nara," a voice answered.

Mikoto opened the door hesitantly, suspicion on her face and her sharingan activated. The voice sounded like Kiku, but voices could be faked. It wasn't Kiku who convinced her though; it was the sight of Naruto standing behind her, his red aura brighter than ever; there was no possible way to fake that. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino were there as well.

"Hello, Yamanaka-san," Mikoto finally said as she shut off her sharingan and opened the door fully. "Can I help you?"

Kiku smiled softly. "The children wanted to visit Sasuke, and Yoshino and I realized we hadn't seen you in awhile. We thought you might like some company."

Mikoto stared at them for a long moment, then suddenly turned away. Kiku still caught a glimpse of the raw emotion on the former kunoichi's face though, and knew she had made the right decision.

"Of course," Mikoto said after a few seconds, her voice thick. "Come on in."

* * *

-A Small Outpost in the Land of Whirlpools-

_A yellow flash suddenly went off in the room, and Kushina tensed for a moment before realizing what it was. She smiled gently as she turned to look at her husband. He had ink smudges all over his hands and face, and his expression was strained. He managed a smile though as he looked at his wife and newborn child._

_"Hey honey," Kushina said softly, hefting the bundle in her arms slightly. "Look who it is, Naruto. It's your father."_

_Minato moved closer and looked down at his son. The small tufts of yellow hair made him chuckle. "I told you the yellow would win in the end," he said quietly, reaching out a hand to stroke Naruto's head._

_Kushina stuck out her tongue quickly before smiling herself. "It doesn't matter, he's still beautiful... even if he is blond," she joked. She moved a strand of her vibrant red hair over Naruto's head, humming thoughtfully._

_"Can... can I hold him?" Minato asked quietly._

_Kushina just nodded and lifted Naruto to allow Minato to take him more easily. Minato reached out, hands trembling, and took the bundle. "He's so heavy," he choked out._

_"Yeah, he's a big, strong, healthy boy. Our son," Kushina replied. She felt like crying a bit herself, seeing Minato so worked up over holding his child. She let out a sudden gasp as she felt a massive surge of chakra in the battle._

_"Minato... what's going on out there?" she asked. "How is the battle going?"_

_"I'm not sure, I had Sarutobi take over so I could prepare the... so I could prepare," Minato replied, still focused on Naruto. "I don't think it's going well, but it will be over soon. Very soon now," he repeated quietly to himself._

_"What are we fighting, though? What was that sound? Is it enemy ninja?" Kushina pressed, her ninja side coming to the front for a moment._

_Minato smoothed back Naruto's hair and just stared at his son for a long moment, tears dripping down his face. Kushina felt a pang of unease._

_"Minato, what-"_

_"It's a tailed beast. A nine-tailed beast," he said suddenly._

_"A tailed...," Kushina's voice trailed off, her eyes widening as she took in the ink stains on Minato and remembered the seal he had been studying these last few months. "Minato," she said insistently, "give me Naruto." Her hands reached out to take back her child._

_Minato took a quick step backward, his arms folding around the bundle protectively as he clutched his son to his chest. He shook his head. "I... I have to do this. It's the only way."_

_"Minato," Kushina said again, struggling to move her body out of the bed. She cursed her weak state; Naruto's birth had been long and difficult, even with Tsunade's help. "Don't do this. Please. Just... just give me Naruto."_

_"If it's any comfort," he said, his voice strained and tears spilling freely down his face, "you won't have to kill me yourself."_

_Kushina was crying as she begged, "Please, don't. Please."_

_Minato barely managed to choke out the words "I'm sorry," before he disappeared from the hospital room._

Kushina woke with a gasp. That nightmare always left her feeling helpless and weak, even years after the actual event and after enduring it at least once a week ever since. Of course, that it was a memory rather than a nightmare didn't help matters any. It was a horrible memory, the memory of when her life had begun to go wrong - though the worst betrayal came a few days later.

She couldn't even hate Minato, not really. It hurt _so much_ to know that he had just taken her son without even asking her opinion, but she missed him far more. She also understood him, understood his self-sacrificing tendencies and his need to protect everyone he could. She had witnessed the nights where he forgot to sleep, so focused was he on his work as Hokage. She had seen the personal sacrifices he made, the sacrifices they both made, to allow him to spend as much time as possible helping the village.

And his expression, just before he disappeared from the hospital room... she knew he hated himself for his actions far more than she ever could, but he still did it – for the good of the village.

That same village that had taken her son from her without so much as an apology. They didn't even remember her anymore, convinced somehow that she had perished in the battle with the tailed beast. She knew who to blame for that; the one to blame for everything wrong in her life it seemed – Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She felt her blood pounding in her veins as she thought of that two-faced bastard, his smiling, kindly facade masking the ruthless and remorseless ninja who had lived far too long. How she longed for the day when she could plunge her sword into his black heart and spit in his face as he died.

He had stolen her son – his life was the least she could take from him in return.

**Author's Note:**

> A few points of interest for those who are reading this story. This is an AU, and I will be laying out the differences between this and canon as the story continues, hopefully in a natural manner. There are some changes I should warn you of now though... Madara Uchiha is dead. Deader than dead. Dead as a doornail. And there is no Mangekyou Sharingan.


End file.
